Nebraska School Activities Assoc. censors student speech

[louisa05]

A state champion speaker is being asked to cut transgender themes from his winning program in order to perform in a televised showcase.

Story here:

http://journalstar.com/news/local/nsaa- ... 5b502.html

I used to coach speech here in Nebraska. The association has mismanaged it completely for years or just ignored the needs of the students and teachers involved. And now this...

Support Michael on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/574362656005329/

Or on Twitter--hashtag #LetMichaelSpeak

[louisa05]

Update:

This showcase is being taped by Nebraska Educational Television (local PBS affiliate) tomorrow. NET issued the following statement via Facebook in response to the huge outpouring of support for Michael:

An NSAA decision to ask a Rushville, Nebraska student to change the poem he read during the state championships for a subsequent NET television broadcast has caused a storm of controversy. Michael Barth won the Class C-1 state award for his presentation of the poem with a gender identity theme. He was scheduled to perform it for the Best of the Best broadcast with other state champions before the NSAA asked him to choose another selection because they considered the original poem too controversial for a statewide audience.

David Feingold, NET's assistant general manager of content, says NET is prepared to broadcast whichever selection Barth chooses to perform during the taping of the program Thursday.

“Michael Barth is this year’s NSAA Class C1 poetry champion. NET Television is ready to record Michael’s award winning presentation, as originally planned. When Michael comes to the studio tomorrow, we’ll record the performance of his choosing, and will be included in the completed Best of the Best program which will air on NET 1 on Sunday, April 20th, at 9:00 a.m. and rebroadcast on NET 2. The full program will also be available on line,†Feingold said.

If you posted on Twitter or Facebook or anything else when you read this, thanks for standing up for this student and all Nebraska speech students. NET has come through and NSAA has no say. They have weakly reversed their decision but only after it was clear that the taping was not in their control.

[BravaAmica]

It will be interesting to see if they actually broadcast his award winning poem or if there are "technical difficulties." But that's okay, I'm sure everyone there will be taping it with their cell phones, too, just in case.

[louisa05]

It will be interesting to see if they actually broadcast his award winning poem or if there are "technical difficulties." But that's okay, I'm sure everyone there will be taping it with their cell phones, too, just in case.

It was never the television network trying to censor it. It was the state association that governs competitive speech. I don't think NET is going to pull anything like that as they had no involvement in the attempt to censor. It only came to their attention that NSAA attempted to do so when the public firestorm erupted today.

This is not going to be the end of it with NSAA, (the state association), though. I'm told by friends who are still coaching that their new director had stuck a rule on the ballots this season where judges could take off points or even disqualify speeches in any event if they deemed the content "lewd, vulgar, or inappropriate". It was not a rule change made through proper procedures and coaches were blindsided by it. It is also so vague that it made students and coaches question all sorts of material. One person I talked to is extremely socially conservative but objects to it because, as she said, "any judge could deem any random thing inappropriate". (She also was on this student's side, ftr).

Interestingly, this student performed this piece for the entire season and no judge ever questioned the content at all.

[AnywhereButHere]

Update:

This showcase is being taped by Nebraska Educational Television (local PBS affiliate) tomorrow. NET issued the following statement via Facebook in response to the huge outpouring of support for Michael:

If you posted on Twitter or Facebook or anything else when you read this, thanks for standing up for this student and all Nebraska speech students. NET has come through and NSAA has no say. They have weakly reversed their decision but only after it was clear that the taping was not in their control.

I really hope that Michael does not feel pressured to "choose" another selection and goes forward with his original piece.

[louisa05]

I really hope that Michael does not feel pressured to "choose" another selection and goes forward with his original piece.

That will not happen. He cannot change it.

Let me explain how competitive speech works:

Michael competed in oral interpretation of poetry. He would have chosen the poems he included (song lyrics from Macklemore and Ryan and a slam poetry piece) no later than early November. Students compete with the same program for the entire season which begins in late November or early December and ends with the state tournament the third weekend of March. Michael used this same piece, and perfected it, for four months of competition. He was the state champion in the event in his school's competition class (class divisions are based on school size).

For the past few seasons, the state's PBS affiliate NET, which regularly televises state athletic tournaments, has taped and aired a "Best of the Best" showcase of state champion speakers. Michael was invited and asked to send in his script to the Nebraska School Activities Association --not NET--NSAA is the organization that governs interscholastic competition in the state (primarily sports). This morning, the president of NSAA contacted Michael, his coach, and his school's administrators asking that he change his program for tomorrow's NET taping.

He cannot do so. He has no other selection to use. As his mother explained in a post she put on the Facebook group that was formed to defend him today, it is not possible for a speaker to suddenly have a new program when the season is over. He apparently tried to explain this to the NSAA president who requested he not use his program and was told to edit it. That would be difficult as well. According to Michael, when he said he could not do so, the woman hung up on him and proceeded to claim to the press that he agreed. Meanwhile, NET knew nothing about what the NSAA had done until the internet firestorm erupted this afternoon and immediately announced that they would tape the program Michael chooses to perform. They are not at fault here and it pains me a bit that people are coming on the thread trying to blame them or accusing them of being manipulative.

[AnywhereButHere]

That will not happen. He cannot change it.

Let me explain how competitive speech works:

Michael competed in oral interpretation of poetry. He would have chosen the poems he included (song lyrics from Macklemore and Ryan and a slam poetry piece) no later than early November. Students compete with the same program for the entire season which begins in late November or early December and ends with the state tournament the third weekend of March. Michael used this same piece, and perfected it, for four months of competition. He was the state champion in the event in his school's competition class (class divisions are based on school size).

For the past few seasons, the state's PBS affiliate NET, which regularly televises state athletic tournaments, has taped and aired a "Best of the Best" showcase of state champion speakers. Michael was invited and asked to send in his script to the Nebraska School Activities Association --not NET--NSAA is the organization that governs interscholastic competition in the state (primarily sports). This morning, the president of NSAA contacted Michael, his coach, and his school's administrators asking that he change his program for tomorrow's NET taping.

He cannot do so. He has no other selection to use. As his mother explained in a post she put on the Facebook group that was formed to defend him today, it is not possible for a speaker to suddenly have a new program when the season is over. He apparently tried to explain this to the NSAA president who requested he not use his program and was told to edit it. That would be difficult as well. According to Michael, when he said he could not do so, the woman hung up on him and proceeded to claim to the press that he agreed. Meanwhile, NET knew nothing about what the NSAA had done until the internet firestorm erupted this afternoon and immediately announced that they would tape the program Michael chooses to perform. They are not at fault here and it pains me a bit that people are coming on the thread trying to blame them or accusing them of being manipulative.

Ahhh, thank for the explanation. I'm glad he'll get his chance to do his selection as it was intended.

[louisa05]

NET posted his performance on the web:

http://netnebraska.org/interactive-mult ... -selection