[NYRA] "NYRA Freedom" Volume 9, Issue 5

Thu Jun 11 16:58:23 EDT 2009

---- NYRA Freedom ----

ISSN 1933-5229

Volume 9, Issue 5

June 11, 2009

Editors: Justin Graham and Lexi Johnson

---- Table of Contents ----

- Introduction
- Southeast Florida NYRA Chapter to Sue Over Curfew
- NYRA's Annual Election Less Than a Month Away
- 2009 Annual Meeting Coming Up in August
- A Working Transition for Student Rights Union
- Board of Directors Approves Changes to NYRA Bylaws
- NYRA Makes Its Case in Drinking Age Debates
- Recent NYRA Blog Entries
- News from the Web
- Conclusion

---- Introduction ----

It's that time of year again. NYRA's annual election, in which members  
vote for a new slate of directors, will begin July 1, and we've got an  
impressive list of qualified candidates this year. Also on the ballot  
will be two bylaw changes, and a position paper amendment is pending  
before the board of directors. The 11th Annual Meeting in Washington,  
D.C., where NYRA members gather for a weekend of fun and strategizing,  
is also fast approaching. And, to top it all off, active NYRA members  
are making their voices heard loud and clear across the country,  
including a first for NYRA: an lawsuit over an unconstitutonal curfew  
law.

---- Southeast Florida NYRA Chapter to Sue Over Curfew ----

As one of NYRA's most active current chapters, NYRA of Southeast  
Florida has made quite a splash in the Sunshine State over the past  
year. But as a sign of bigger and better things to come, the chapter  
is preparing to file NYRA's first lawsuit; the suit is to be filed  
next week in federal court against the city of West Palm Beach over  
its unconstitutional youth curfew.

NYRA-SEFL has negotiated with the city for the past several months in  
an effort to get the unconstitutional curfew ordinance voluntarily  
rescinded, meeting with the mayor and arguing before the city  
commission that the ordinance violates the constitution and is  
impossible to legally enforce. When these methods were unsuccessful in  
getting the ordinance repealed, the chapter retained noted Boca Raton  
civil rights attorney Barry Silver to convince the city of the  
strength of NYRA-SEFL's legal arguments.

However, the final deadline imposed by the chapter for West Palm Beach  
to indicate its willingness to rescind its curfew has passed, and  
NYRA-SEFL and its attorney are preparing to file a lawsuit in federal  
district court to ensure that the constitutional rights of all youth  
in West Palm Beach are respected. Chapter president Jeffrey Nadel and  
vice president Zachary Goodman said in a statement: "We will not sit  
idly by as this curfew is illegally enforced against the citizens whom  
the City Commission was elected to serve."

This groundbreaking development, the first ever lawsuit filed in a  
NYRA chapter's name, will propel NYRA's campaign against  
discriminatory youth curfews, and our quest to protect all rights of  
youth, into the spotlight, and the recent overturning of another youth  
curfew in Rochester, New York by that state's Supreme Court (see the  
first article in the "Other News" section below) bodes well for the  
chapter's suit.

To read up about NYRA-SEFL's curfew fight, visit:
http://nomorecurfew.com/

Or view their video blog:
http://vlog.nyrasefl.com/

---- NYRA's Annual Election Less Than a Month Away ----

The annual election, where the NYRA membership votes for a new slate  
of board members, is almost upon us. NYRA has an impressive slate of  
well-qualified candidates for the board this year, including a few  
incumbents, several active chapter leaders, and other figures from  
regional and national NYRA leadership. The only requirement to run for  
the board is to be a paid NYRA member.  Being a full member of NYRA is  
also necessary to vote, Paid membership costs just $10 per year; to  
pay your dues, go to http://www.youthrights.org/donate.php.  This  
promises to be the most competitive election in NYRA history, don't  
miss out!  Voting begins July 1, to vote become a voting member right  
away.

Also on the ballot this year are two amendments to NYRA's bylaws to  
require a two-thirds majority vote when the board votes to remove an  
officer or Director. A vote on an amendment to NYRA's education  
position paper opposing corporal punishment in schools, submitted by  
director Justin Graham, is on the agenda for June's board meeting,  
and, if that vote passes, the position paper amendment will also be  
voted on by members this year.  All NYRA members and supporters have  
an opportunity to speak to the board candidates and ask them questions  
directly in NYRA's election forum, please visit it here:  
http://forums.youthrights.org/forumdisplay.php?f=38

As of this writing, the following individuals have declared their  
candidacy for the board (14 candidates for nine seats):

Jackie Ferro (president, NYRA-Nanuet)
Justin Graham (incumbent; editor, NYRA Freedom)
Max Harmony (board of directors, Americans for a Society Free from Age  
Restrictions)
Alex Koroknay-Palicz (incumbent; NYRA executive director)
Brian Lombrowski (president, Community Alliance for the Ethical  
Treatment of Youth)
Keith Mandell (incumbent)
Dustin Manuel (former NYRA board member)
Vicky Minerva (member)
Katrina Moncure (incumbent)
Stefan Muller (incumbent; NYRA vice president)
Stephanie Mungroo (member, NYRA-Nanuet)
Jeffrey Nadel (president, NYRA of Southeast Florida)
Steve Ross (former chairman, Zionsville Student Rights Union)
Chip Sinton (incumbent; NYRA president)

Voting in the election begins July 1, and will conclude at NYRA's  
Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. on August 1.

---- 2009 Annual Meeting Coming Up in August ----

Once a year, in August, the most awesome people ever - NYRA members  
and supporters - gather for a weekend of fun and youth rights  
discussion and strategizing. That time is once again approaching.

NYRA's 11th Annual Meeting will be held Saturday and Sunday, August 1  
and 2, at NYRA's offices in Washington, D.C. This will be the first  
Annual Meeting held at NYRA's new office! As usual, there will be  
several interesting youth rights presenters and other activities, and  
we'll hang out at Alex's house afterwards, having fun and trying to  
not bug his roommates. In addition, voting for this year's NYRA  
election will wrap up during the Annual Meeting, and the results will  
be announced; attendees will be the first in the nation to hear the  
election results! Look for more details about the meeting in July's  
issue of NYRA Freedom.

---- A Working Transition for Student Rights Union ----

With the passing of the school year and the graduation of outgoing  
chairman Steve Ross and its other directors, the Zionsville Student  
Rights Union in Zionsville, Indiana is passing the reins to the next  
group of dedicated youth. The new chairman, Abby Llorico, took office  
along with the rest of her team of directors at the end of May, at a  
gathering hosted by Ross. "I'm extremely proud of all this Board of  
Directors has accomplished in the past two years, and I'm incredibly  
excited to see what the new Board will accomplish as the ZSRU moves  
into a new era of success," said Ross.

During the transition to new leadership, the ZSRU has been making  
progress in its drug education campaign. At a town hall meeting on  
April 30, ZSRU leadership, including Ross and Llorico, argued before  
approximately 130 people for a comprehensive drug abuse prevention  
program, centered on education and treatment. Ross presented data from  
a University of Michigan study suggesting that random student drug  
testing, which had been previously proposed, is generally ineffective.

The ZSRU's message resonated with Zionsville Police Chief Richard  
Dowden, who suggested the possibility of using federal grant money to  
expand a program of voluntary drug treatment to any student who needs  
it. The new board of directors intends to follow up with Dowden about  
this option.

---- Board of Directors Approves Changes to NYRA Bylaws ----

NYRA's Board of Directors has approved two amendments to the  
organization's bylaws proposed by board member Justin Graham. The  
amendments would change the bylaws to require a two-thirds majority  
vote, instead of the current simple majority, when the Board of  
Directors votes to remove an officer from his or her position, or to  
remove a Director from the board. The changes would have the effect of  
making it more difficult for the board to remove an officer or  
Director. The amendments were prompted by a small scandal at the end  
of 2008 which resulted in a successful vote to remove an officer, and  
a failed attempt to remove a Director from the board.

The ultimate fate of the amendments, however, is up to NYRA's  
membership, which will vote to approve or reject them in the upcoming  
general election.

---- NYRA Makes Its Case in Drinking Age Debates ----

NYRA representatives have made multiple appearances in the past weeks  
at drinking age debates across the country, making the compelling case  
for lowering the drinking age to 18. NYRA vice president Stefan Muller  
was a panelist at a drinking age debate at Harvard University on April  
14, arguing that not only does the law need to be changed, but "we  
really need to change how people are educated about alcohol" if we are  
to reduce alcohol abuse.

Later, NYRA executive director Alex Koroknay-Palicz debated the  
drinking age with a representative of Mothers Against Drunk Driving at  
New Trier High School near Chicago. At the debate, Koroknay-Palicz  
made the point that European teenagers, for whom drinking is condoned,  
drink alcohol more often but drink much less at a time, leading to  
significantly less binge drinking than in the United States, where  
youth prohibition pushes drinking by youth underground.  According to  
a poll taken by those in attendence, Koroknay-Palicz was deemed the  
winner of the debate.

Koroknay-Palicz also appeared on a radio show broadcast on June 1 by  
WestBridge Community Services, an organization involved in the  
treatment of substance abuse disorders, where he argued that a lower  
drinking age will reduce alcohol abuse by youth.

---- Recent NYRA Blog Entries ----

Drinking Age Silences Victims
http://blog.youthrights.org/2009/06/07/victims/

Banning Books Hurts Youth
http://blog.youthrights.org/2009/06/01/banning-books/

Two Youth Rights Views on Sonia Sotomayor
http://blog.youthrights.org/2009/05/27/242/

NYRA-Nanuet Campaigns to Lower the Voting Age on RNN!
http://blog.youthrights.org/2009/05/11/nyra-nanuet-campaigns-to-lower-the-voting-age-on-rnn/

Suicide of the Bullied
http://blog.youthrights.org/2009/04/21/suicide/

---- News from the Web ----

-- NYRA-Related News --

Drinking Age Is Debated At New Trier
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18691

Panelists Debate Drinking Age
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18583

An Oregon School for Troubled Teens Under Scrutiny
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18570

-- Other News --

Rochester's curfew on teens overturned
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18946

Springstead High valedictorian's graduation speech rejected as too real
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18934

Students arrested, fined for food fight
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18928

Congressman questions NBA?s age rule
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18926

Teens win the fight to save their school
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18920

Pa. school board upholds eyebrow shaver expulsion
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18914

ACLU defends girl's lewd MySpace principal parody
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18910

KRXQ Sacramento Radio Hosts Encourage Violence Against Transgender Children
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18905

Cheyenne Mountain plans area's first random drug test
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18898

Objections to some books are on the rise
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18897

Entrepreneurs of the future
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18886

Group wants R rating for any film with smoking
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18883

For Teenagers, Hello Means ?How About a Hug??
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18880

Lower the Voting Age
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18873

New 'advanced' curfew to take effect in Chesterton
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18871

High-tech sleuth helps reduce truancy
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18863

Parents' Rights, Judges' Rules
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18833

Students, teachers oust Calif. town's school board
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18832

Sex Column causes controversy; First Amendment issues raised
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18830

Violent video games are focus of California petition to Supreme Court
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18817

Inquiry slams Irish state over "endemic" child abuse
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18803

Judge rules Minnesota boy fighting cancer must have chemotherapy
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18799

Marijuana Proponents Urge Colleges to Mellow Out
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18784

Teen banned from graduation for attending prom
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18760

'Advanced' 10 p.m. curfew proposed for Chesterton
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18758

Providence mayor wants to tax college students
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18754

Dallas City Council enacts daytime juvenile curfew in 12-2 vote
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18751

New Indiana law gives teachers more protection
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18738

Judge bars drug tests for students in band, chess club
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18725

America's Tough Love Habit
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18714

Tomball mom arrested for spanking
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18698

KU To Notify Parents Of Alcohol, Drug Violations
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18697

A Lawyer, Some Teens and a Fight Over 'Sexting'
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18677

Clash brewing over global Rights of Child pact
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18666

Indiana legislators agree on final version of teen driving bill
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18661

Police Use Facebook to Bust Underage Party
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18647

NY court to weigh legality of youth curfew
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18644

Bertram says school days are too short ? And there's not enough of them
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18642

New Oshawa law could make it illegal for kids to buy spray paint, markers
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18624

Schumer backs limits on youth credit cards
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18623

FDA expands access to Plan B for 17-year-olds
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18617

Strip search review tests limits of school drug policy
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18607

Justices hear arguments over school strip search
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18606

Supreme Court hints at allowing strip searches at school
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18596

Suit claims abuse, filth at juvenile detention center
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18592

13-year-old's school strip-search case heads to Supreme Court
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18586

Driver restrictions pass House
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18558

Somerset student wins battle to keep long hair
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=18555

---- Conclusion ----

This is always an exciting time of year for NYRA, with an impending  
election for a new slate of board members, and the upcoming Annual  
Meeting. But that doesn't mean dedicated youth rights activism comes  
to a stop! Far from it: a lawsuit filed by our Southeast Florida  
chapter in federal court against an unconstitutional youth curfew is  
imminent, and other NYRA chapters and youth rights activists are  
speaking up and effecting positive change across the country. You can  
always help by joining an active chapter or starting your own  
(http://www.youthrights.org/chapters.php ) or by making a donation or  
fundraising for NYRA (http://www.youthrights.org/donate.php ) so you  
can vote in the upcoming election. If you'd like to run for the board  
of directors, please email us at nyra (at) youthrights (dot) org as  
soon as possible! Also, if you can, attend the always awesome and fun  
annual meeting. Active participation by committed youth rights  
supporters is the key to NYRA's success.