Talk:Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School

Dillon Cossey
Isn't it kind of obvious that this page has been whitewashed by the district PR people? Dillon Cossey planned to shoot up the school and it was national news for days--pretty much the only reason anyone outside the immediate area has heard of P-W--and he/the incident isn't mentioned once on the page? Reeks of PR management to me. Come on. I'm editing that in. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 150.209.149.71 (talk) 07:30, 13 April 2008 (UTC)


 * No, actually, it's not PR whitewash, it's that Dillon Cossey is irrelevant. Just because the incident that did not occur made national news doesn't mean that it's actually noteworthy.  It just means that it's sensationalist journalism playing off of the fears and sensitivities of America in the wake of Columbine all those years ago.  I removed the reference to Dillon Cossey because nothing actually happened.  If you wish, start an article about the incident (that wasn't) and link back to this article.  You may find it a speedy candidate for deletion, since no one gives a shit about Dillon Cossey. Godheval (talk) 16:20, 29 May 2008 (UTC)


 * I, and probably everyone else who attends/has attended PW, or even lives in the area would disagree that no one gives a shit about Dillon Cossey. It was a significant event, and really drove home for us the whole "this could happen anywhere" message. And since then, I feel that the school has gotten even more fanatical about pushing the No Place for Hate program, and has otherwise cracked down on seemingly unimportant issues. I feel that at very least that "the incident that 'did not occur'" is worth mentioning, because even the shooting never took place, it still has had an impact on our quiet, suburban communities. Funbox360 (talk) 19:30, 10 September 2008 (UTC)
 * not necessarily even a full article, or section even, i just feel some mention would be nice Funbox360 (talk) 19:33, 10 September 2008 (UTC)
 * I attended, live, and work near PW, and I don't think it's a noteworthy event, since it DID NOT HAPPEN. I maintain that there needs to be no mention of a non-event to tarnish this article.  We do not need to immortalize Cossey for being a douchebag and a failure.  &mdash; Godheval T C W 00:04, 17 December 2008 (UTC)
 * This is not a matter of immortalizing Cossey, or a matter of sensationalist journalism. It is a matter of what is notable and verifiable, and what is not. I have not done a proper search, but I know for a fact that most of the major news organizations gave at least momentary coverage to the incident, and that the incident can be sourced. I'm sure you would find that sources from their websits would fulfull WP:V. As for WP:NOTE, it fulfills all the general notability guidelines. Finally, 150.209.149.71's comment that the incident is "pretty much the only reason anyone outside the immediate area has heard of PW is very significant. If I remember correctly, the high school didn't even have it's own WP page before the incident occurred; it logically follows that the incident is what made PW notable enough in the first place. (In the interest of full disclosure, I want to mention that I am also a PW alumnus.) Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 16:43, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Robotics Team 2229 not many studetns in pw know that there is a first robotics team. it is a great program that produces many brught futeres. there are over one hundred first robotics alumni a year. just by participating anyone can learn alot more about life. Also there are many first scholoships to many collegedes. First isn't just for computer geeks it is also said to produce the future of the medicind world. as of now the to faculty members who run the first robotics team are Mr. Yeagle and Mr.kumfort. Also the number 2229 is pw's munber and that number was assined by order in wich the team joined first robotics.
 * Immortalizing him may not be the intention, but it will be the result. There is no other non-incident like this published for any school site anywhere.  We might as well start an article about that kid from Arizona who successfully shot his father, or the guy from Denmark who was probably (but not confirmed) to be involved in Natalie Holloway's disappearance, just on a "What if..." note.  In case it's not clear, I'm speaking tongue-in-cheek here.  It's absurd.  As for PW's article not even existing prior to the Cossey NON-incident, that's patently false.  A quick look at the history shows that it's been here since 2006.  Just because people not from the area haven't heard of the school doesn't make it unremarkable, and pretty much every high school posted to WP passes the notability test, regardless of any events that occurred.  So that point is moot.  Finally, when I was at PW, I brought a metal rod wrapped in duct tape and had it hidden in my pants leg for a Saturday ISS session.  My intention was to beat this other kid - also in ISS - in the face with it.  But the kid left early and it never happened.  Maybe we should start an article about what would have happened to that kid, and speculate on how his life would be different now had I carried out my intentions.  Give me a break.  Dillon Cossey is a bulbous waste of flesh, and should not taint this page. &mdash; Godheval T C W 05:53, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

(Outdent) Here is the version of the article immediately before it was first updated to include mention of the incident. While you are right that the article existed before the shooting attempt, I submit that none of the previous versions of the article, including this one, met WP:NOTE. Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 06:48, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Sorry, forgot to say this. (1) You said, "Just because people not from the area haven't heard of the school doesn't make it unremarkable." This may be true; however, the fact that there were no reliable sources independent of the subject prior to the incident DID make it not notable by Wikipedia's standards. (2) The fact that the shooting didn't happen is irrelevant to Wikipedia's purposes. The very fact that it was covered, extensively, by reliable sources, makes it notable. Furthermore, if that kid from Arizona who successfully shot his father and the guy from Denmark who was suppossed to be involved in Natalie Holloway's disappearance were given coverage by similar sources, then yes, they do meet the notability guidelines. (3) Finally, I have gathered a number of news stories from reputable organizations covering the incident: The New York Times, CNN, NPR, The International Herald Tribune, and WPVI-TV, the local ABC affiliate. Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 07:22, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Just because news outlets cover it doesn't really make it notable. They cover whatever they think will garner enough interest to generate ratings.  Ever since Columbine, news outlets are prickling with opportunism that they be the first or the most exhaustive in reporting the next such incident.  They're profiteers in the business of tragedy.  That's getting into another issue, though.  The question you have to ask yourself is whether or not the incident warrants an article being created for Dillon Cossey himself?  I would wager that it would be a quick candidate for deletion.  While his non-action was notable enough to be reported, I do not think it is notable within the history of Plymouth Whitemarsh as a school.  This article has a great need for expansion, and were it to be brought up to par, the Cossey incident would be minor in the grand scheme of things. &mdash; Godheval T C W 16:53, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Okay, I do have things that I might like to say, but I don't think this discussion is really going anywhere as it is, with just the two of us going back and forth. I'm putting in a request for comment to see if we can't get some more opinions on here. I'm putting it in under "Society, sports, law and sex" because I don't see into what other category the article falls.
 * That didn't do much, so I've requested a third opinion. Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 21:18, 26 December 2008 (UTC)

RfC: Is Dillon Cossey affair noteworthy
Is the Dillon Cossey affair noteworthy enough for inclusion here? (There has already been some discussion of this above.) Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 18:22, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Since nothing happened to the school, I would say definitely not. -- Orange Mike  &#x007C;   Talk  21:31, 26 December 2008 (UTC)

Robotics Team 2229 not many studetns in pw know that there is a first robotics team. it is a great program that produces many brught futeres. there are over one hundred first robotics alumni a year. just by participating anyone can learn alot more about life. Also there are many first scholoships to many collegedes. First isn't just for computer geeks it is also said to produce the future of the medicind world. as of now the to faculty members who run the first robotics team are Mr. Yeagle and Mr.kumfort. Also the number 2229 is pw's munber and that number was assined by order in wich the team joined first robotics. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.185.215.140 (talk) 02:12, 20 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Noteworthy / Keep - In much of the world, planning or conspiring (assuming such plans are beyond a trivial stage) to cause a major crime involving the death of others is treated as a very serious matter. Just because the planning did not come into practice does not mean that society ignores the preparatory work. If the judicial system using a public court decided to impose a significant penalty, one should deem this noteworthy to the school. Providing publicity to the planner may not be edifying, but it is preferable to keeping the information hidden away. Pmbma (talk) 21:33, 26 December 2008 (UTC)Pmbma

Coming from an outside perspective, I would caution everyone involved in this dispute to consider the bigger picture. To those that go to the school and were involved in the incident, even in such an indirect way as attending the school, the incident probably has far greater significance than to those that were not affected by it. This gives you a bias even when you don't mean for there to be one. Such is the reason that we have policies such as WP:COI to prevent those that are too connected to a subject from adding their input to an article. Also consider that the policy WP:NOT is a two-way street; just as notability does not have an expiration date, something that quickly loses it's newsworthiness is likewise not notable. From this perspective, I would argue against inclusion of Dillon Cossey within the article. Trusilver 03:42, 1 January 2009 (UTC)


 * I know this is off topic from the original question that I asked, but... does the article meet WP:NOTE without a mention of Cossey? Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 06:04, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Never mind. I'll bring this up later if a consensus forms against the inclusion of Cossey. One thing at a time... Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 06:05, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No, it's okay. The answer to your question is yes. Whether it is correct or not, past consensus is that high schools are inherently notable on their own merit. Trusilver  06:14, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure I understand. Where did this consensus form? Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 04:43, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * This is going back a couple of years. Still to this date, WP:SCHOOL remains the biggest benchmark of notability for schools, as it was the closest of the different proposals to get a community support. I would have to dig back to find all the information on it, and I have forgotten where a lot of it lies. If you want it all to be given to you, best way to do it would be to AfD a high school, you will have all kinds of people popping out of the woodwork with their Keep votes. Trusilver  06:37, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * (outdent) Fair enough. I didn't know WP:SCHOOL existed. Out of curiosity, Trusilver, do you have an opinion about the Cossey affair's inclusion here? We don't seem to have built any consensus on that yet. Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 14:13, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I just keep on putting my foot in my mouth, don't I... you already expressed your opinion. Duh. Skiasaurus (skē’ ə sôr’ əs) 14:16, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Article clean up
Over the course of some years this had become an unencyclopedic mess--most of the article was a promotional travesty, with academic information cut and pasted from school district publications (copyright infringement), and long listings of sports' teams histories, most all of which was unsourced. Per school project guidelines I've attempted to include mention only of major championships (state and national are what's recommended) and most significant individual achievement, though even there I was a bit liberal. If students or staff wish to add to this, I'd strongly advise first reading WP:WPSCH/AG. If promotional, unsourced, trivial, or copied content is re-added, it will be removed, and the page can be protected. 99.153.143.227 (talk) 17:27, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

Another alumni addition Michael G Rubin
I found out that American businessman Michael G Rubin, also attended Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. He used to go to school in the morning and then run his business in the later hours. I found out after talking to a current substitute and retired teacher who was a staff member at the time he went to school. Jared L 9999 (talk) 15:51, 26 April 2020 (UTC)