The Iconoclast

by Zac Geoffray.

At the summer camp I worked at this past summer I had an interesting conversation with my boss who graduated from Samohi in ’96. We talked about teachers that we shared and I asked him what kinds of activities he was involved in “Well, me and some buddies started this underground paper called The Iconoclast. It was pretty awesome. Is it still around?”

Underground newspapers have almost always existed in high schools around the country. Samohi has two; the publication you’re reading now, and The Kronik. Until January 13, 1988 (Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier), school officials were allowed to completely censor or ban the publications, which often happened. Before this ruling there was a similar case in which a student wrote an article about why Martin Luther King’s birthday should be a holiday, way before the law was passed. A school official ordered it removed from the paper and when the student went to the courts, he was denied the right to free speech.

However because of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier the writers of alternative newspapers are in a much different situation. I hope that The Grip Doctrine and its readers continue to utilize the tremendous power of free speech, which is at our disposal and carries great weight. Have a great year.