Editor Graham's first column; my response

Readers Note: With the academic year about to end and given Chronicle editor David Graham's outing of me in his last column, I thought some of you would be interested to read the first column Graham wrote as editor.

It was published in the July 25, 2007 Chronicle under the title "Living up to the billing." It follows in full, after which below the star line you find the response I sent Graham which I published in the post To The Chronicle's new editor on Aug.5, 2007

John
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Here's Graham - - -

Dear readers,

Sitting in a cramped Raleigh hearing room in June with reporters from The Associated Press, New York Times and Washington Post, I listened as a North Carolina State Bar commission announced the disbarment of Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

I don't think anyone would question that it was a watershed moment for the University. All of us dealt with the repercussions of the lacrosse case, whether we were students being harangued by television cameras on the way to classes, faculty members coming under fire for their response to the accusations or incoming classes deciding whether it was worth it to attend a school dogged by scandal.

For those of us who write for The Chronicle, it was also a very exciting time, as we competed and rubbed elbows with top-notch reporters and got to follow a story of national interest. At the same time, it became almost a single focus for us, consuming much of our time and the pages of this paper.

But with Nifong out of office, charges dismissed and most of the loose ends of the case tied up, both Duke and The Chronicle are ready to move on.

As the community looks to regain some sense of normalcy, the staff of The Chronicle's 103rd volume is excited to continue the excellent standard set by our predecessors in the last two years in providing news to the entire University community.

I am extremely proud to be part of the strong tradition of one of America's best college newspapers, but as we get back to the bread-and-butter of standard daily news, we know there are also areas where we can improve.

My last anecdote, I swear: While I was working on this column, I was at a party where someone, unaware that I even worked for the paper, stormed mightily to me about The Chronicle's shortcomings and its (he thought) disturbingly central role in student life. "People think all the news that happens is in The Chronicle," he complained. "There's so much they don't get."

And it's true. Although I'm delighted every time I see anyone pick up a copy, he was right. We've missed important events and trends, and we have not always represented the voice of faculty, of staff and of graduate and professional students as extensively as that of undergraduate students. And sometimes we make straight-up errors.

Although undergrads will always be our main focus, I am eager to hear from members of all parts of Duke-whether it's suggestions for things we should be covering or complaints about our failings. I take seriously the responsibility to correct any shortcomings, but I can only do that if I am aware of them.

We also hope to provide, in addition to high-quality hard news stories, in-depth looks at issues affecting the University-whether academic or social, local or national.

In the spirit of looking forward, we've worked to assemble a newspaper that focuses on some of the trends that will shape campus life during the next 12 months.

It's a year of fresh faces in the Allen Building, as the University adds news administrative positions and replaces the holders of others; learn a little about them in our news pages, along with analyses of how some recommendations of the Campus Culture Initiative might shape the face of campus over the next few years. Also, take a look at where Duke fits in the current national debate over college rankings.

Dig into Sportswrap for updates on what new women's basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie has been up to for the summer and clues on six athletes to watch in the next year.

Pull out recess, The Chronicle's weekly arts and entertainment section, which kicks off its 10th anniversary volume with an eclectic mix for advice on what to wear, what to listen to and the hottest new eateries in the Bull City-plus an interview with the man who brought us, well, his junk in a box.

The Chronicle's news perspectives magazine, Towerview, returns with an even sleeker look and its annual look at 10 people and things to watch for the new year, from a team of Dukies trying to foment Internet commerce revolution to the DukeEngage program.

We've mailed this issue to all undergraduates, but you can also read it on our award-winning website, www.dukechronicle.com. Surf over for exclusive content, breaking news as it breaks and blogs from staff members.

One final thing. In this space last year, Ryan McCartney, editor of volume 102, reminisced about a phrase that used to run on The Chronicle's flag in the '60s. This year, we've put it back: "The Tower of Campus Thought and Action."

We hope we live up to the billing.
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Dear Editor Graham:

I read with interest your July 25 article, Living up to the billing.

I wish you well as you begin your editorship. The goals and Chronicle services you highlight are impressive and important for Duke. I support them with just a few exceptions.

I’ll share one of those exceptions with you now.

You say:

For those of us who write for The Chronicle, it was also a very exciting time, as we competed and rubbed elbows with top-notch reporters and got to follow a story of national interest. At the same time, it became almost a single focus for us, consuming much of our time and the pages of this paper.

But with Nifong out of office, charges dismissed and most of the loose ends of the case tied up, both Duke and The Chronicle are ready to move on.

Ready to move on?

The Chronicle? OK, you're the editor.

The Allen Building? For sure.

But Duke?

As the last academic year was ending, Duke students took ads in The Chronicle calling on the Group of 88 to explain why they did what they did and to apologize. About 1,000 students endorsed a full-page ad that asked President Brodhead to finally stand up for them.

I wonder whether many of those students weren’t thinking of things like Brodhead’s silence on May 18, 2006 when racists, including members of the New Black Panther’s Party who openly boast of carrying guns, shouted threats, including death threats, at Reade Seligmann.

Brodhead has never explained why he didn’t speak out then and hasn’t since.

Has The Chronicle ever reported on Brodhead’s silence? Or the silence of all but a few faculty then and since? What about the silence of every trustee then and since? And then there's The Chronicle's own editorial silence.

We can agree, Editor Graham, there was a time many American universities abandoned their students when they were threatened by racists. But that stopped during the Civil Rights marches in the 60s.

Is there even one university which in the last 40 years has abandoned a student as Duke under Dick Brodhead abandoned Reade Seligmann on May 18, 2006?

If there is, how did that university "move on?"

Beginning on March 24, 2006 and for many days thereafter, the Durham Police repeatedly told the public about horrific crimes they said were committed at a party hosted by Duke students.

We don’t know why the police did that? We haven’t even identified and held accountable the police supervisors who approved the false statements the police spokesman was making.

We do know DPD’s repeated and shocking lies about Duke students stirred tensions and angers in the community, thus making Duke/Durham a more dangerous place. While that was true for all of us living here, it was and remains especially true for Duke students.

Shouldn't President Brodhead and "Dick's senior team" get some answers from DPD before they and The Chronicle decide "There's nothing to see here. Move on. Go back to your classrooms. If anything turns up, Sgt. Gottlieb will send us all an email?"

Editor Graham, I don't want this to get too long, so I'll move on now myself.

I look forward to your response, which I’ll publish in full at my blog. It's read by a good many members of the Duke community as well as some journalists and authors.

I’ll also be in touch in a week or so with other concerns generated by your column.

Again, good wishes.

Sincerely,

John in Carolina
www.johnincarolina.com