High school student's Internet site becomes popular amid contro

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A high school freshman's Web site has become a popular place for people to post their opinions since the Piper School Board's intervention in a plagiarism dispute drew national attention.

That freshman, Ryan Wall, created his Web site ( http://www.geocities.com/phs66109/) for students a few months ago. It provides information about the school, including events, a schedule and the lunch menu.

But it's the message board that's become a popular feature. Since the plagiarism dispute became public last month, people from across the country have consistently written about teacher Christine Pelton, the 28 sophomores she failed, the parents who complained and the school board that subsequently told her to reduce the penalty.

Pelton resigned in protest after the school board asked her to give partial credit to the 28 students from her sophomore botany class who she determined had plagiarized a project worth 50 percent of their grade.

Wall estimates that in the first couple months after his Web site was up, about 10 people visited his site each On the Net:

RYAN WALL'S WEB SITE: www.geocities.com/phs66109/

PIPER HIGH SCHOOL SITE: www.piper.usd203.k12.ks.us/phs.htm

day. In the last month, that number has gone up to about 100 a day. People have posted hundreds of messages on the site and sent Wall dozens of e-mails, most of them in opposition of the school board.

Wall said several comments have centered on part of the Piper School District's mission statement, which appears on the Web site.

"A lot of people are complaining about the mission statement," Wall said. "They want 'and excel with responsibility and integrity' to be removed."

The site also has its own real-time poll, which currently asks users if they think the school board did the right thing. Of the over 800 votes received, 33 percent supported the board while 67 percent disagreed with the board's position.

The messages have left Wall with mixed feelings on being a student at Piper High School.

"I think there are a lot of good students (at Piper)," Wall said.

"I'm a little ashamed, but still proud to go to Piper."