2008 Woodie Awards
Student response to track coverage
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Rocket Letters
To the editor:
I would like to applaud the defense of your article "Pictures can lead to suspensions" ("Why we did what we did," March 28).
Although I generally do not agree with editors having to defend the fact that they reported the news, you did so because it was an issue which people obviously cared about.
Oftentimes we need to be reminded about what journalism may be.
Of course one must feel sorry for the students suspended from the Maryland event, but it is the duty of a publication to present news.
Luke Chamberlain
Freshman
History/political science
To the editor:
In reading the last two weeks' articles on the track team, I thoroughly support your decision to print these articles.
As a university student who is still underage, I know the school policies on drinking.
While I realize that many students drink on and off campus while underage, I don't think this is a smart decision.
That decision is even less intelligent when you are on a sports team, representing the university at an athletic event. I also wonder where the coaches were during this incident-perhaps they weren't doing their jobs as thoroughly as they should have been.
Furthermore, I am not a person who wants to get others in trouble, but I will not sit down when someone is doing something wrong. Having friends on the track team, I hear stories about all the events but never did I imagine anyone being so unintelligent as to drink at a meet, take pictures, and then post them.
For all the people who are upset about these publications: You are being absolutely ridiculous.
It's a news story, simple as that!
Emily Morrison
Sophomore
Elementary/special education
To the editor:
After reading the article in the March 21 issue about the track and field team, the last thing I was thinking was that The Rocket had done anything wrong.
On Monday morning I was absolutely appalled at the comments that people were leaving on The Rocket's Web site about the article.
All week, I had been defending The Rocket to fellow students who thought that The Rocket should have some sort of a sense of sympathy and look the other way to the students who had broken the law, as well as university rules, and whose actions will affect the track and field team profoundly.
After reading the article titled "Why we did what we did," I thought The Rocket defended itself beautifully.
However, I feel the need to make a conjecture, because the vast majority of students who were upset with the article most likely just look at the pretty pictures and maybe the sentence beneath them without glancing at any real text.
Your view I fear, may be lost to the ones who most need to hear it.
Jon Frantz
Junior
Environmental/elementary education
To the editor:
In your editorial section in The Rocket last week, you went to great lengths to explain and justify your reasoning for running the pictures of the SRU track team drinking in San Diego.
While I agree that it was inappropriate to be drinking on the trip, I question the reasons for running the article. I feel that you are following the great example of the 24-hour news networks.
FOX News and CNN tend to focus on stories that aren't so much real news, but will get them those all-so-precious ratings. Well, if that was the goal, then mission accomplished.
There has been more attention paid to The Rocket this past week than I can ever remember. I would be interested to know when the last time an article on your Web site was viewed 13,000 times?
My main point is this, though: You talked about your ethical responsibility to report the news as you see it, and I do agree with that.
However, as students, I am sure you have gone to parties where you have seen underage consumption of alcohol and possibly the use of illegal drugs.
Why, then, have I never seen an article on these incidents that you have seen firsthand. After all, it would be your ethical responsibility to report these happenings. The Rocket really did nothing wrong by posting this article.
However, if you want to be "fair and balanced," maybe you should start reporting on actions taken by your own friends, and then you can talk about your ethical responsibity to report the news.
Matt Altdorfer
Senior
Music
I would like to applaud the defense of your article "Pictures can lead to suspensions" ("Why we did what we did," March 28).
Although I generally do not agree with editors having to defend the fact that they reported the news, you did so because it was an issue which people obviously cared about.
Oftentimes we need to be reminded about what journalism may be.
Of course one must feel sorry for the students suspended from the Maryland event, but it is the duty of a publication to present news.
Luke Chamberlain
Freshman
History/political science
To the editor:
In reading the last two weeks' articles on the track team, I thoroughly support your decision to print these articles.
As a university student who is still underage, I know the school policies on drinking.
While I realize that many students drink on and off campus while underage, I don't think this is a smart decision.
That decision is even less intelligent when you are on a sports team, representing the university at an athletic event. I also wonder where the coaches were during this incident-perhaps they weren't doing their jobs as thoroughly as they should have been.
Furthermore, I am not a person who wants to get others in trouble, but I will not sit down when someone is doing something wrong. Having friends on the track team, I hear stories about all the events but never did I imagine anyone being so unintelligent as to drink at a meet, take pictures, and then post them.
For all the people who are upset about these publications: You are being absolutely ridiculous.
It's a news story, simple as that!
Emily Morrison
Sophomore
Elementary/special education
To the editor:
After reading the article in the March 21 issue about the track and field team, the last thing I was thinking was that The Rocket had done anything wrong.
On Monday morning I was absolutely appalled at the comments that people were leaving on The Rocket's Web site about the article.
All week, I had been defending The Rocket to fellow students who thought that The Rocket should have some sort of a sense of sympathy and look the other way to the students who had broken the law, as well as university rules, and whose actions will affect the track and field team profoundly.
After reading the article titled "Why we did what we did," I thought The Rocket defended itself beautifully.
However, I feel the need to make a conjecture, because the vast majority of students who were upset with the article most likely just look at the pretty pictures and maybe the sentence beneath them without glancing at any real text.
Your view I fear, may be lost to the ones who most need to hear it.
Jon Frantz
Junior
Environmental/elementary education
To the editor:
In your editorial section in The Rocket last week, you went to great lengths to explain and justify your reasoning for running the pictures of the SRU track team drinking in San Diego.
While I agree that it was inappropriate to be drinking on the trip, I question the reasons for running the article. I feel that you are following the great example of the 24-hour news networks.
FOX News and CNN tend to focus on stories that aren't so much real news, but will get them those all-so-precious ratings. Well, if that was the goal, then mission accomplished.
There has been more attention paid to The Rocket this past week than I can ever remember. I would be interested to know when the last time an article on your Web site was viewed 13,000 times?
My main point is this, though: You talked about your ethical responsibility to report the news as you see it, and I do agree with that.
However, as students, I am sure you have gone to parties where you have seen underage consumption of alcohol and possibly the use of illegal drugs.
Why, then, have I never seen an article on these incidents that you have seen firsthand. After all, it would be your ethical responsibility to report these happenings. The Rocket really did nothing wrong by posting this article.
However, if you want to be "fair and balanced," maybe you should start reporting on actions taken by your own friends, and then you can talk about your ethical responsibity to report the news.
Matt Altdorfer
Senior
Music
