Oh.. Mr. Milton

    Adapting to an unfamiliar area, full of new faces, living style and different scenery is hard enough when one is fresh out of high school, but being a 14 year old can make it more of an uphill climb for an institution. The closely-knit community of Milton Hershey School welcomes that struggle to reduce the pain of the struggles under privileged kids by providing an opportunity to get away from distractions. Through the process of extensive premier selection of house parents, faculty, and staff it can make the Milton Hershey School an elite charter school to go to on the east coast.

    Due to the condense living areas that the School offers it is very likely that some viruses, common colds, and most contagious diseases poise a major threat to the mass student body here at MHS. Upon much thought and consideration, MHS, turned down a 14-year-old student who was born with HIV. This child living conditions on a daily basis would consist of co-habituating with two house parents, who were picked by the school, along with up to 13 additional kids in typically a three story house. Considering liability issues for the health and well-being of our currently enrolled students and staff this request is too great for the MHS to accept. It's simply a matter of watching over and protecting the already intact unique community that MHS has. Trying to continue a positive, focused environment that children can learn and grow in. Imaging a mass panic of trying to find out which one of the new faces has a deadly disease inside of him makes the institution alarmed. This could possibly turn into an immediate act of discrimination against one individual that could lead to blood in the water type problems. Home live for would a challenging one for our employees. Turning the slightest scratch into a battleground that mustn’t be taken lightly. The obstacles are too great for us here at MHS to grant. 

    As of now MHS stands by the statement released to the public concerning the incident " In order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others." This is a private institution that has the right to choice who walks in and out of those doors. Although deeply saddened by the situation it cannot be done here at MHS.

    Listed above are some of the opposing arguments in my speech. The arguments go with the framing of this issue by hanging it on putting forth an effort to protect the investment already made on the current students. By not putting them in harms way there is no potential liability issues that could arise from taking this student. The audience it is geared toward is most likely concerned parents ranging late 20's to 40's. I believe this because of the word choice as well as trying to reach out to the parents whose kids could potentially be in danger. The opposite side of the argument in my opinion is based on mass appeal. Trying to get everyone to rally to fight for the cause of allowing a child an education. Although from what I read MHS didn't go into detail and kept the statements broad. 

    The reason why I chose the side I did because when I lived in Hershey I use to work for the Hershey company. The restaurant I worked for, the profits went straight into the Hershey trust which funds the whole operation of MHS. Through my experience at the Hershey company, an employee is force fed the legacy of the Man Milton Hershey, and then they go and deny a child an education, publicly. It didn't sit well with me and if I had the time I would have been holding up a sign to support this brave 14 year old boy.