Finding fine arts
In Issue 1, The Oracle Editorial Board discussed student body indifference towards South’s exceptional Fine Arts programs. Almost half of the students involved in Fine Arts reported feeling ashamed of their involvement, and one in five reported feeling judged for involvement in a performing art, according to a non-scientific survey of 325 students conducted by The Oracle. South’s Fine Arts program is consistently recognized with prestigious awards that line hallways, fill cabinets, and hang proudly throughout the fine arts department. However, when Fine Arts students return to school with trophies and grants, the awards feel lackluster, as the winning students still lack acceptance from peers. It is crucial that as a school community, we reshape the perspectives and labels associated with students in the Fine Arts and give them the same consideration we give to any other activity at South.
Freedom of the Press
In Issue 4, The Oracle Editorial Board stressed the importance of a free press in a functioning democracy, as press is the primary window of communication. This was in response to Board Policy 7:315, in which the school administration would require prior review, which means obtaining a copy of the student-written document before publication, and prior restraint, which would allow the administration to prevent certain content from being published without consulting the writers of the works. The ambiguous phrasing of the policy leaves it open to broad interpretation, granting the District full discretion in determining what is acceptable to publish, and while the first three exceptions set clear legal boundaries, the last two introduce a level of subjectivity, making enforcement inconsistent and potentially arbitrary. The District should revise the policy in consideration of the opinions and voices of student journalists and their media advisors.
AI’s environmental footprint
In Issue 5, The Oracle Editorial Board stressed the severe environmental impacts Artificial Intelligence (AI) use has. In order to operate, AI requires both software and hardware; software is the program, while hardware is the physical machinery needed to operate it. The hardware is used to create large-scale AI computers, which are housed in large data centers that require an abundance of limited raw materials, such as timber, oil, minerals, and natural gas, to create energy. The production, transportation, maintenance, and disposal of these components require rare natural resources, and can contaminate soil and water if not disposed of properly, according to Yuan Yao, Associate Professor of Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Systems at Yale University. There have been no major recent developments that could potentially create a sustainable solution for AI.
