2008 Woodie Awards
Sophomore Responds to Administrators
Rachel Allen
Issue date: 5/4/07 Section: Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
My name is Rachel Allen and I am currently a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, a double major in English Creative Writing and Theology. I am writing to voice my concerns regarding the proposed changes to the University News and the negative effects I, like many other SLU students, believe they will have on the publication of our college newspaper.
I am not affiliated with the University News, but as a student at this university, I am a part of the community and it is important to me to be aware of events on campus and voice my opinions. Also, as an English major, I am a great believer in the importance of having a publication like the University News on any college campus, run by the students, for the students, available the community.
There has been a lot of gossip, a lot of name-calling, and a lot of confusion over this week's events. This is my main frustration; many of my questions have gone unanswered and a credible source of information has been unavailable to me. I will be attending the Student Government meeting this evening, where I hope to have my questions answered. I'm addressing my concerns to you, however, because your position at this university is clearly connected to the experience of students. I'm aware that you have probably received a lot of feedback on this issue, and I'd like to address one of your responses - a letter sent to my classmate Trevor Clark, which he shared with me.
You have said that the administration is committed to a student newspaper that is free to make its own editorial decisions, but you must see how the proposed new charter compromises the ability of the UNews staff to do so. An editor whose position is dependent on the approval of the administration, and can be dismissed at any time under the vague grounds of "misconduct or failure to perform their responsibilities adequately," will certainly not feel free in making decisions regarding their work for the paper. What editor, I ask, would feel comfortable publishing the opinions of students who submit articles that might question or disapprove decisions made by the administration when that editor's position is dependent on the administration? Clearly, an editorial board that is beholden to the University would not be comfortable operating with the journalistic freedom and integrity that is their right. This is the central issue of this new charter, and a topic you did not discuss in your letter to Mr. Clark.
My name is Rachel Allen and I am currently a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, a double major in English Creative Writing and Theology. I am writing to voice my concerns regarding the proposed changes to the University News and the negative effects I, like many other SLU students, believe they will have on the publication of our college newspaper.
I am not affiliated with the University News, but as a student at this university, I am a part of the community and it is important to me to be aware of events on campus and voice my opinions. Also, as an English major, I am a great believer in the importance of having a publication like the University News on any college campus, run by the students, for the students, available the community.
There has been a lot of gossip, a lot of name-calling, and a lot of confusion over this week's events. This is my main frustration; many of my questions have gone unanswered and a credible source of information has been unavailable to me. I will be attending the Student Government meeting this evening, where I hope to have my questions answered. I'm addressing my concerns to you, however, because your position at this university is clearly connected to the experience of students. I'm aware that you have probably received a lot of feedback on this issue, and I'd like to address one of your responses - a letter sent to my classmate Trevor Clark, which he shared with me.
You have said that the administration is committed to a student newspaper that is free to make its own editorial decisions, but you must see how the proposed new charter compromises the ability of the UNews staff to do so. An editor whose position is dependent on the approval of the administration, and can be dismissed at any time under the vague grounds of "misconduct or failure to perform their responsibilities adequately," will certainly not feel free in making decisions regarding their work for the paper. What editor, I ask, would feel comfortable publishing the opinions of students who submit articles that might question or disapprove decisions made by the administration when that editor's position is dependent on the administration? Clearly, an editorial board that is beholden to the University would not be comfortable operating with the journalistic freedom and integrity that is their right. This is the central issue of this new charter, and a topic you did not discuss in your letter to Mr. Clark.
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