Letters to the Editor

To the Daily:

Your article regarding the Michigan Student Assembly debates
sponsored by WOLV-TV (Candidates for MSA to debate on
television, 03/10/04) was well-written, yet the spin put on the
issue was unfair. We at WOLV News strive for one goal and one goal
alone — fairness. We go above and beyond to try to
accommodate every party and to speak to every student of the
University. We are also dedicated to making the best product
possible, which is how this issue began. MSA President Angela
Galardi and WOLV were under an agreement for her to take an
advisory position, because there was concern over the creation of
questions in last year’s debate. She was already overseeing
the debate’s development by securing a room and giving us the
candidates’ contact information. She had asked to see the
questions beforehand so that she would feel more comfortable with
her involvement. From her suggestions, we would decide whether or
not to make any revisions based on the validity of her point. The
list that she received was a sample list, written by WOLV-TV news
editor Lauren Averitt, with no definitive questions. Galardi was
not going to release the questions, but rather just let us know if
we were making clear and appropriate questions from the position of
someone who has gone through our debate process in the past. The
goal was simply to make the best questions possible so we could
really do a service to the community. Unfortunately, in the end,
this was misunderstood. As servants of the community, we feel this
needs to be rectified. We did try to solve any problems by sending
the same e-mail to all candidates that had confirmed their
attendance at the debate, so that if the questions were
inappropriately leaked a level playing field would be maintained.
Furthermore, Averitt was removed as a commentator and served as the
host of the debate. Questions were asked by a WOLV member and a
Daily editor that were not on Averitt’s list, and had never
been prepped with Averitt prior to the debate. We also worked hard
to give everyone an equal chance to talk, and we feel that in the
end, we produced a debate that the student body deserves. We
cordially invite each and every student to tune in on Comcast
channel 22 or channel 70 in the Residence Halls, tonight at 10
p.m.

Executive Board

WOLV-TV

 

Angell Hall flyers were hoax; story was not clear

To the Daily:

Last week, the Daily published an article about some flyers that
were posted around campus in the early hours of Thursday morning
(‘U,’ DPS finish flyer investigation, 03/12/04).
These flyers contained accusations of sexual harassment by a member
of the faculty. Although you included details that might help the
readers of the Daily understand that this was a prank — you
described people wandering around in the bushes at 3:15 in the
morning, to which one might add that three women who were connected
with the flyers were also seen in Alice Lloyd Hall dressed in dark
clothes with masks on — you did not make it clear that this
flyer was a hoax. Because you named the faculty member, you should
also have made it clear that no complaint has ever been filed
against this person. By naming him, you were exposing him to
unnecessary embarrassment, and, by doing so, simply forwarding the
aim of the perpetrators of this cruel hoax.

David Potter

Director, Lloyd Hall Scholars Program

Martha Vicinus

Director, Sweetland Writing Center