1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. Why did Williams and Bentley carry the flags, despite being told by school officials they could not do so?

3. Why did school officials bar the players from honoring police and firefighters on 9/11?

4. Why were the players suspended from the team indefinitely?

5. Why did school officials say they were reversing the suspensions?

6. Before his suspension was reversed, Brady Williams said, “I don’t care what my consequences are, as long as my message [support police/firefighters on 9/11] gets across I’ll be happy.”
What do you think?

• Did school officials act properly in denying the players’ request to carry flags supporting police and firefighters’ sacrifices on 9/11?
• Was the Patriot Night program organized by administration officials sufficient?
• Should the school have upheld the players’ suspensions?
• Is the community right to support the football players’ decision to disregard administrators’ denial of their request to carry the flags?
• Schools superintendent Gregory Power said they denied the players’ request to carry the flags because “We did not want to place ourselves in a circumstance where another family might want a different flag to come out of the tunnel, one that may be [one that] many other families may not agree with from a political perspective.” Was this a legitimate concern for school officials or a way for them to avoid standing up for what is right?
• What do you think of Mr. Power’s belief that the flags the teens wanted to carry are a symbol of a political point of view - and not just a show of support and respect for police and firefighters?

Explain your answers.