Story Archive

The Very Model of a Modern Protestor

In the picture Sydney Spies, 18, submitted for her Durango, Colo., High School yearbook, her hair flows between her bare shoulders to a top that ends high enough to reveal her midriff. After learning that the image had been rejected as a senior portrait, Spies, her mother, and other students held a protest, accusing school officials of censorship. But in a meeting with a reporter, the yearbook’s student editors claimed responsibility for the decision, adding their vote was unanimous. “We are an award-winning yearbook,” said editor Brian Jaramillo. “We don’t want to diminish the quality with something that can be seen as unprofessional.” Spies, however, said the editors had previously voted to publish the picture, and accused the administration of intimidating them into reversing their decision. (AC/Durango Herald, KUSA Denver) ...The picture is hot, but it’s the defiance that’s really beautiful.