You will notice an inflammatory adjective, one that begins with the letter “f,” prominently placed in our coverage of the Student Beach Residents Association’s 200 Nights. The use of this word was not an easy decision for the editors of this newspaper. What was a certainty, however, is that this quote in some form needed to be included.
The Mirror strives to use the same criteria for any elected official or public figure. If the President of any campus organization had said this, we would have included it in the paper. The facts remain that this comment was said to a gathering of hundreds and the quote itself is not in question.
As leaders on campus, the members of SBRA have an obligation to be responsible representatives. As the independent newspaper for the student body, The Mirror has an obligation to report fair and accurate stories about the positive and negative aspects of the university.
It is the consensus of The Mirror that the actions of Mr. Harper during 200 Nights cannot be ignored or even censored to make it more comfortable to the reader. It is the very crux of our story that Co-President Harper used a vulgar and condescending term that contributed to a sour night for some students in attendance.
Leave a Reply