Letter to the Editor: Mr. Reynolds Criticism of Opinion Journalism Unfair, Insulting

To The Editor:

This is in response to Mr. Reynolds' article tilted "The Trustees are misunderstood." We found it impossible not to respond to such an insulting article. We find it interesting that a person who thinks so poorly of "opinion journalism in action" would choose to take up space in our opinion section with an article of his own. Like Mr. Reynolds, we gather that the purpose of opinion journalism is "to effect informed debate by provocative opinion;" unlike Mr. Reynolds, we view this aim in a more positive light. We resent his comparison of opinion journalism to "public affairs shows television where lack of civility is loudly celebrated." By dismissing the validity of student opinion, Mr. Reynolds cheapens the worth of our student publication. We are disappointed with this decision "to pass this debate by" when confronted with the concern of one student regarding the Trustees. Mr. Reynolds attempts to address student problems in a superficial and irrelevant manner. Even if Mr. Reynolds can personally vouch for the good character of each Trustee (as unconvincing, biased, and vague his assertions are) this cannot pacify the real concerns of the students. We see Mr. Reynolds' article as a condescending and cursory attempt to quiet student concerns regarding the changes made by the Trustees within Trinity. We would expect the administration to respect student opinions by providing concrete response rather than such a vague, perfunctory article. If the administration at Trinity wishes to secure for itself a strong future generation, we suggest that it begin by improving its relations with the current students.

Sincerely,

Melanie Breznial '01
Amy Cox '01