Weapons Policy

 

As you may notice, many schools in the state have a weapons policy, and it seems each school mas a different policy. After conferring with our legal counsel, the IHSSA  has come up with a method of dealing with the weapons issue in IHSSA  contest series. It will be the duty of an individual school to write their particular contest site manager if they have a look-alike weapon in their contest selection. Then the local contest site will make the decision if they will allow the look-alike on stage or in the classroom according to their own district rules. An example would be: school b is doing a choral reading of the old west. They will be wearing toy six-shooters for each individual in the choral reading. School b must then write their local contest site manager and ask permission to use this look-alike weapon at that site. The contest site manager will then inform school b that it will be 1) allowed with no specifications, 2) Allowed with specifications, or 3) will not be allowed. As of the 1996 contest season, each district in the state will have a weapons policy. If you have questions on this please call the state office.

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Tobacco/Alcohol Policy

 

No real tobacco, vapor products or alcohol will ever be used in IHSSA  contest entries. This includes live productions at contest as well as short film/tv newscasting productions that are filmed offsite. Look alike alcohol, vapor products, or tobacco that are necessary for IHSSA  productions at contest or in filmed events should be provided by the participating school and secured by the IHSSA  coach. All such "look alikes" will be facsimiles or non-functioning props. The IHSSA  coach is responsible for storing the prop "look alike" in a locked room or secure, concealed storage area. Students will check out these props when needed and will be supervised at all times. Real alcohol, vapor products or tobacco should never be used in an IHSSA  production. Use of real products is a violation of state law for the students) and the school.

 

Students should not be asked to bring a 'look alike' alcohol, vapor product, or tobacco prop to school or an IHSSA  contest. All props (empty cans, bottles, fake tobacco products, vapor products) should be provided by the participating school and secured by the IHSSA  coach. The prop should be wrapped whenever it is moved from one area of the school contest site to another. This moving should be done only by the teacher/coach. Students should never carry these props through the halls of a school/contest site. If the look alike prop is used in a rehearsal, at a filming, or at contest all administrators of participating schools should be notified of the use of that item.

 

All contest managers should be alerted if a "look alike" tobacco, vapor product, or alcohol prop is being used in the IHSSA  contest series.