![After Massachusetts voted to remove the MCAS graduation requirement, policy makers are reshaping graduation standards. "The top-line understanding is that we’ve moved away from a system that we’ve known for about 24 years, which is one where every school district in Massachusetts had wide latitude to decide what their graduation requirements were in terms of coursework or other experiences, but every single student, in order to earn a diploma, needed to pass the MCAS in one English, one math and one science assessment," Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said. "We’ve moved away from that now, by virtue of the outcome of [the MCAS] ballot question in November, to a place where communities can still decide what their graduation requirements are, but there’s no requirement for students to pass the MCAS.”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/img_3067_720.png)
![Troy Hoyt finishes the Boston Marathon, running for the Hoyt Foundation. T. Hoyt is the son of Hoyt Foundation CEO Russ Hoyt.
“[Running a marathon] might seem like a big thing, when it’s presented to you at first, but if you break it up and just keep telling yourself, “Yes, you can,” you can start chipping away at it. And before you know it, you’ll be running the whole 26 miles, and you won’t even think twice about it.” T. Hoyt said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/C36E8761-1CBB-452E-9DF2-543EF7B1095E_1_105_c.jpeg)
![At 5:45 a.m. on April 19, a reenactment of the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place at Old North Bridge in Concord. The reenactment was followed by a parade, where several dignitaries, including Gov. Maura Healey, gave speeches. "This is our generation's time, standing here in this place at this moment, we must commit ourselves to defending [freedom]," Healey said. "That's what I will do, and I encourage everyone who knows our history and values our freedom to do the same."](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/93EBB942-34BA-42D3-85A5-220D17FE7E44_1_105_c.jpeg)
![From left to right, junior Ben Pyhtila, sophomores Aadith Charry and Owen Chislett play their cello instruments. Junior Jubin Kim also plays the cello and has been playing the instrument since third grade. "I think that [the cello] is a good balance between a high instrument versus a low instrument, and I just really like the rich sound that it makes," Kim said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_6540-1200x800.jpg)
This past weekend, just 10 miles away, the celebration of the 250th anniversary for the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place. At this event, and around the country, people commemorated the brave citizens who put their lives on the line in order to create a country based on freedom, liberty and self-governance.
This celebration of the American spirit comes at a more trying time than ever.
Through relentless and sweeping proclamations, President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented, un-American attack on the first amendment. This started two months ago, when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Feb. 25 that the White House would choose the small pool of reporters who relay the president’s activities to the public. Leavitt described this responsibility as a “privilege” that the administration would extend to publications of its choice, rather than a right guaranteed by the first amendment of the Constitution.
This announcement came after the White House’s decision to bar reporters from the Associated Press (AP News) from covering its press events after the outlet used the term “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America.”
We were shocked by the blatant targeting of a news organization, simply because they used terminology that the president did not agree with. While it was scary to see a president go after the media in a public way, we knew well beforehand how Trump felt about certain news organizations, so his criticism of those organizations was expected.
However, several months into his presidency, Trump has not stopped. He has continued to control which media has access to his day-to-day activities. His administration has started to target students who speak out against the government. In March, a Tufts University student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for writing an Op-Ed for her student paper, and was not granted due process. Now, hundreds of international students have had their visas suddenly revoked.
Student journalists across the country are playing an integral role in reporting on local news, and covering stories with unique angles that are impossible for other publications to achieve. As student journalists and members of the Wayland community, we take pride in providing factual information to our community, and shedding light on issues, both political and non-political, that affect students. We cannot do this important work if our government does not protect and preserve our first amendment rights.
It is not only unconstitutional, but dangerous for the government to try and take away the fundamental rights enshrined in the first amendment. Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are crucial to driving the success of not just student journalism, but the entire profession. Stripping away these rights will undoubtedly harm all Americans who should be able to access the news and think critically for themselves.
The WSPN editorial board is made up of students with political viewpoints from all parts of the political spectrum and values a variety of perspectives. Nonetheless, we agreed that the Trump administration’s attempts to control the press presents a serious threat to our democracy and infringes on the public’s right to know the truth.
250 years ago, our forefathers fought for a country where there was no king above the rule of law. Now, in 2025, we cannot regress into a society where our sacred Constitution, our first amendment, is not lived out through the people.
