A picture is worth a thousand words. Just not at a speech meet

For the first time in several years, the Carbon

Country School District No. 2 Speech Team competed

at the Rawlins Speech meet rather than co-hosting

it. Speech, like wrestling, is not an activity that the

Saratoga Sun has the opportunity to take photos

of because the meets and matches are located in a

variety of places across the state that are rarely close

to home. So when we learned the CCSD#2 students were competing in the Rawlins meet, we talked with coach Debbie Riker about covering

the event. Riker gave us the go ahead and after the schedules were posted Friday afternoon, we came up with a game plan to photograph

the CCSD#2 students in action. We got the permission

of the judges and the students we were photographing.

Then with our final photo opportunity we were

informed, according to the Rawlins Judges’ Instructions,

photographs are not allowed. An extra-curricular activity, which supports free speech is stifling freedom

of the press? There is something seriously wrong with

this picture. The reasoning behind the rule is that the competitor may be nervous and the round may have to be repeated, because of our presence. We had the permission of the coach, the student and

the judge. They are participating in a school-sanctioned

event, just like wrestling, basketball and volleyball.

As professionals, we know our boundaries. But

when an activity, which is intended to teach freedom

of speech and expression, prevents the press from

covering such an event the students are competing in,

it goes against everything the First Amendment is

about. What if we were told we couldn’t photograph

volleyball players, basketball players or wrestlers?

What if we were told we can’t take pictures of athletes

competing in track or cross country events? There would be an uprising of upset parents, grandparents,

teachers and administrators. Speech and debate teaches students how to process information and promote their point of view, including liberties that include freedom of the press. It is a shame that program is limiting those freedoms.