School is back in session for children across Marietta as Cobb County Public Schools officially began the year on Wednesday. The first day of school can be an exciting and stressful time for many and this year’s academic return offered its fair share of both.
Across the city, traffic saw a boost as buses, parents, and commuters all took to the roads. The morning of August 3, the Marietta Police Department even took to social media to warn citizens of the increased traffic and to remind workers to allow extra time when leaving for work.
Students at one high school returned to find their school grounds covered in toilet paper, courtesy of the school’s seniors. The Marietta Daily Journal reports that the Class of 2017 at Marietta High continued the Blue Devil tradition of rolling the school the night before the first day of class. Pictures of the scene show “2017” scrawled on the building’s walls in chalk.
Schools across Cobb County are also experiencing a bit of controversy over the activities of the Satanic Temple, which has expressed interest in starting an after school club in the county’s public schools.
An article from Patch.com reports that the organization is looking to implement its program, After School Satan, in schools in Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Missouri, and Maryland.
According to its website, the After School Satan program was created to “emphasize a scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious world view.”
Satanic Temple co-founder Doug Mesner says that public schools are obliged to open up to the organization’s program since they currently allow Christian-based after school programs.
“All of the districts we’ve approached are nearby to local chapters of The Satanic Temple, and each school district has hosted, or is now hosting, Good News Clubs in their schools,” he said.
“We are sure the school districts we’ve approached are well aware that they are not at liberty to deny us use of their facilities, nor are they at liberty to deny us any level of representation in the schools that they afford to other school clubs.”
Cobb County Public Schools released a statement Monday stating that “learning and student safety will continue to be our top priorities” and denying that Still Elementary School in Powder Springs, which is specifically mentioned on the After School Satan website, has an after school Satan club.