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.

Another concern of the administrative influence on the editorial board arises in the hypothetical situation of the firing of an editor – say an editor is dismissed under the ground of misconduct (a term that will need to be defined clearly) mid-semester. How, then, will the staff operate until that editor is replaced? An editor’s position is difficult and time-consuming, and the training and introduction of a new editor, at any time the administration might demand it, will add considerable difficulties to the operations of the paper. Also, the administration has no input on student leaders for other organizations on campus who use campus resources – SGA, the Presidential Scholars Society, Students for Life, etc. – so why should the UNews be different? The printing of the paper is supported through the UNews’ advertising, not the university, so I also fail to see how its publication is a university “fiscal concern.”

You have said that many students do not consider the UNews a credible source and are unhappy with the current publication. This is a valid concern; however, it is not the responsibility of the administration to correct. If students (and the number of students who feel this way is highly questionable; there are no data or statistics to represent student opinion on this) are displeased with the UNews, it is up to the students to take their concerns to the UNews directly. It is a student organization, run by students, for students – and it’s up to students at SLU to dictate what the paper publishes. The UNews publishes student editorials and would happily address any concerns over its content or format that come from the student body. It is not the responsibility of the administration to address these concerns. Enrollment at a university suggests a certain level of responsibility and maturity which should enable students to voice their concerns with the offending party, not go through the administration as a child would go through his mother to settle a dispute with his sibling.

If it is true that the university has been trying to address these concerns for months, I must ask why the students were not involved. According to many of the staff of the paper, they have to tried to be an active participant in these discussions and were denied. They are sincerely concerned about the fate of their publication, and rightfully so. Yet when they asked to a part of these discussions, they were repeatedly refused. The proposed charter was completed without any input from the students. Why? The student body was given no opportunity to express their opinions until this week. Why? We, as students, have been put in a very difficult position by these proceedings. It is the last week of classes, and after final exams next week, the vast majority of students will leave campus for the summer. With all the responsibilities and duties that these last two weeks entail, I cannot help think that the administration purposely chose to deliver the results of their “months” of “trying to address the concerns with The University News” until time would be short for students to respond.

I also fail to see how the proposals of the new charter will contribute to improving the quality of the paper. The administration’s ability to dictate editorial staff will not change who writes for the UNews or the operational system under which they currently work. If the proposed Advisory Board will exist simply to offer advice, as it is proposed, their suggestions could be ignored without any repercussions. In such a situation, their position will fail to improve the quality of the paper. Additionally, the current “adviser” of the UNews, Dr. Avis Meyer, is a volunteer, not supported in any way by the university. I don’t understand why, after allowing the staff to function without an official university representative, the administration now feels it is necessary to become involved. I think it would be wonderful for this student group to have an adviser; however, I have been given the impression that Dr. Meyer is not as popular with the administration as he is with the students and other staff, and it would be wrong to remove him after he has voluntarily been performing these duties with passion and joy. I, as well as many other SLU students, would be upset to see him removed from this task.

In conclusion, I hope that this situation is quickly resolved to the satisfaction of all involved parties. I am afraid, however, that the desire of the university to exercise more control over the University News will have many negative repercussions – on the content of the paper, on the freedom of its staff, and on the lesson given to the Saint Louis University student body: this is no longer your publication. I look forward to your response and hope that this issue will be settled peacefully, and soon.

Rachel Allen
Arts and Sciences Class of 2009