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Catherine Cai | VOX Staff

Illustration by Reuben Buchanan| VOX Staff

ATL Public Schools Ban Sagging Pants
Atlanta Board of Education members unanimously agreed on Dec. 10 to ban Atlanta Public School students from wearing sagging pants. School board Chairwoman Kathleen Pattillo told the AJC, “We want students to take pride in how they look.” Board member Brenda Muhammad agreed, saying, “We’re trying to get kids ready for the work world.” The ban will include all baggy jeans that reveal students’ underwear.

Writers Guild Strike
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) officially went on strike Monday, Nov. 5. According to the New York Times, hundreds of Guild members picketed outside Rockefeller Center for higher residuals — money earned from DVD and Internet sales. The strike was the WGA’s final measure after months of ineffective negotiations and compromises between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The strike has heavily impacted shows that are written and aired nightly, like the “Tonight Show” and “Late Night,” which have since been replaced by reruns. The WGA’s last strike was 19 years ago and lasted for five months, costing the industry an estimated $ 500,000.

Gov. Perdue In Prayer Over Drought
As the Georgia drought persists, Baptist Gov. Sonny Perdue has taken drastic measures. On Nov. 13, Perdue appealed to a higher power on the steps of the state Capitol, alongside lawmakers and ministers. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley declared a prayer week back in July for the drought plaguing the Southeast. Though the distinction between church and state has blurred in the past, Perdue’s actions still incited opposition. Ed Buckner, who organized a protest with the Atlanta Freethought Society, criticized the governor. “He can’t … lead prayers in the name of the people of Georgia,” Buckner said

College Kids Blame Pricey Tuition for Robbery
If you’re preparing for college, keep your heads on! When two college students were arrested for robbing a crowded Cincinnati bank on July 17, they blamed their pricey college tuitions. Wearing masks and armed with guns, Andrew Butler and Christopher Avery stole $130,000. The students pleaded guilty to two accounts of aggravated robbery and six charges of kidnapping, and could face up to 20 years in prison. According to the Associated Press, Butler told the judge that both his scholarships and financial aid together couldn’t cover the cost of tuition at the University of Toledo. Avery, a student at the University of Cincinnati, said he was “strapped for cash” and had “nothing to lose” after his internship fell through.

Akon in Trouble?
On Dec. 3, R&B singer Akon pleaded “not guilty” to criminal charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment for throwing a fan off stage during a concert in June. Akon was charged after another fan complained that the teenage boy gave her a concussion when he fell onto the audience, according to the Associated Press. Akon’s lawyer said that the singer did not mean to break the law.