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The Vox Box

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Hot @!?*&%$# Debate!

Parents are throwing fits over swear words inside high school libraries' books.

With today's parent-school communication lines more open than ever, parents are finding it tempting to criticize what their kids are reading. Parents can very easily scan high school library books for swear words, present those words in context to the school, and have books removed from the library.

In fact, Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn has become the most attacked book for its references to African-American people. What these parents fail to realize is that, in some cases, these terms contribute to the theme, mood, tone, characterization, and sometimes even setting (in Huckleberry Finn's case) of the story.

Where do YOU stand on this issue? Is there a happy medium? Do parents have a right to do what they're doing?

In 2006, then-editor Steve Smith of The Spokesman-Review had the idea of starting a publication for an often forgotten audience: teenagers. The Vox Box was a continuation of the Vox, an all-student staffed newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review. High school student journalists who staffed the Vox made all content decisions as they learn about the trade of journalism. This blog's mission was to give students an opportunity to publish their voices. The Vox Box and the Vox wrapped up in June 2009, but you can follow former staffers' new blog at http://voxxiez.blogspot.com.