Letter: Jon Lordino on coverage and comic strips
Dear editor:
As a current graduate student, Student Senate officer, graduate assistant, and proud alumnus I am writing today in concern for some of the articles that you have been allowing in your paper.
As an award winning paper, I would like to assume [sic] that you have a strong grasp of the right way to portray an award winning paper.
Many are questioning your judgment concerning what should and should not go into a college publication.
I have found several of the articles in your paper distasteful as well as straight-out disrespectful to the student body, Chadron State College, and your publication as a whole.
As the voice of Chadron State College I would assume your purpose is to report college campus news and events as a matter of record and information, while serving as the voice of the student body.
Some of the articles that you have published in the past as well as a recent so called comic strip about the new EagleCards are offensive and disparaging to students and the reputation of the College. The Editors and Advisors of the Eagle should have the knowledge, professionalism and decency to avoid such disparaging submissions.
I take great pride in the institution that I am attending as well as what Chadron State College has to offer its students. The article that was published about the EagleCards seemed to be promoting rebellious actions against what Chadron State College stands for as well as what Chadron State College expects of its students, faculty, and staff.
I have been approached by many people about past articles that have invaded people’s private lives. Often obscene, one sided, inaccurate, and pandering articles are things that we as students cannot and should not accept from our newspaper.
I hope if other students have the same view as I do about the Eagle’s articles that they would too write in and express their concerns so this matter will not go unnoticed any longer.
We expect you to avoid irresponsible articles at all times and that you would look out for what is in the best interest of the publication, the College, and the constituents that you claim to represent.
I believe your articles are going down the wrong road and seem to be getting worse. Are you striving to be the National Inquirer or the Wall Street Journal?
If you are trying for the latter, then I would suggest that you find the line that separates the two and choose which publication that you are trying to emulate.
Jon Lordino
Graduate student of Chadron
As another graduate student and graduate assistant, I would like to say that the comic strip in last week’s Eagle was both humorous and completely inoffensive to me. Lordino, while he certainly has a right to his views and to have them be heard, also does not speak for everyone in a position like his, let alone the general student body.
I would encourage the Eagle staff to continue their great work, and to continue to provide their paper as a forum for every student with a comic strip or an opinion about a comic strip, a forum to express themselves. Freedom of speech is one of the greatest values of our great Republic and the day it’s curtailed by moral scolds is the day we become just another country.
This is a perennial complaint from members of the Student Senate. But almost never delivered with an example. And too often referring to opinion columns. In my time with The Eagle (2009-2013) I can think of only two times students walked or wrote in to the paper to say “this isn’t what I said,” or “this statement is inaccurate.”
Matters of taste are of course, debatable, but I applaud Mr. Lordino for speaking his piece, citing an example, and signing his name to it. But I don’t know about this “We expect you” business. That “We” is students, and the “You” is too.
I agree with Jon Lordino,
As a senior here at CSC, a member of Student Senate, and a member or RLA I feel as though this comic strip goes against everything CSC stands for. I understand the humor aspect, however as a member of RLA the use of drugs and alcohol are highly frowned upon here on campus. CSC places theses rules for a reason. On campus living must be a situation in which we have everyones best interest in mind. By giving the students the humor in using our new ID cards for the use of drugs an alcohol could potentially lead students to think that we see it as a joke and do not take the matter seriously. As many students on campus know, there is already a problem in the dorms with drugs and alcohol, the last thing we need to do is portray the matter as a joke. As a member of Senate I know that we do not want to allocate The Eagle money to portray our school like this. The Eagle represents us as students. Thats not how students want to be represented. I know for a fact there was CSC faculty, staff, and students who did not appreciate the “humor” being published in our paper. As an award winning paper I am proud to let my family in on whats going on here on campus by letting them view the paper. I wouldnt want my parents to see that, or any potential students to see that. It was both an offensive and immature move by The Eagle.
While not many students have gone into nor written the Eagle staff about stuff being reporting inaccurately or taken the wrong way it doesn’t mean that there are students on campus who think this. Many of these students most likely believe nothing will come of their complaints to the staff. The Eagle has been allowed to print articles that broadcast to the entire campus regarding current court cases involving students here at the college who most likely do not want their private lives being written about for everyone on campus to read about. Many times if there is “big news” story here at school the Eagle disregards the privacy of the students involved in the story and reports the story and if those students involved refuse to comment the reporters go to the next person that will talk, many times getting second-hand information, with skewed facts. Lordino’s letter to the editor has finally voiced what many students on campus have been too scared to come out and say; which I completely agree with and support. I hope with this letter that students that agree with Lordino will finally come forward and voice their opinions as well.
I find it ridiculous that all of a sudden comments are made available when it so conveniently benefits “the eagle’s” point of view. I couldn’t post a comment Wednesday on this article when I wanted to. Also I am glad that Mr. Lordino is standing up for something he feels strongly about. I can’t stand reading the eagle because very few of the articles are written in an unbiased manner. Newspapers are suppose to report the facts so that the readers can form their own opinion. I feel like I am being brainwashed with loads of propaganda every time I read the paper. We aren’t children anymore and it would be nice to see more news and educational articles, or even more articles about the community of Chadron.
As much as it pains me to say so, I completely agree with Lordino. The people who are part of the paper write offensive articles frequently, and approach their articles as a place to rant. I personally quit reading the paper when a reporter took a picture of a student being arrested last year. This was not news the students need to know, instead a gossip column to get more people to read.
I may not have the most “updated” opinion on this matter because it’s been many years since I even bothered to pick up an Eagle paper: I cancelled my subscription after graduation years ago and chose to not have it mailed to me when I left town based on what was being allowed to be published at that time. The articles, comic strips, etc. were questionable in nature and often quite obscene for a student publication. I’m not one to yell, “I’m offended!” if I have toes get stepped on…I’ll ignore it for the most part, but I remember being shocked with how the college and the students were being portrayed on a weekly basis. I remember thinking, “If I was someone who gave large amounts of money to CSC, I’d discontinue all support if I read this paper.”
Don’t get me wrong. I strongly admire all the work the reports, contributors, photographers, and other staff put into the paper. I worked for a large newspaper for years after I left Chadron and I know the time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears that go into each publication. And, while we are fortunate enough to exercise our right to Freedom of Speech, what’s written and published may be the only vision someone outside gets of good ol’ Chadron State. Since the paper is created by future proud alumni, hopefully they always strive to only put forth the strongest and best vision of what the college is and ever will be.
As a student here at CSC, I personally find a lot of the comments, and articles posted to be offensive, and only published for more people to read it. As a member of resident life association I appreciate the coverage that the paper provides about in campus events. It makes the students want to attend the events that are advertised, and look forward to new things that will occur. But an extremely reasonable question is why isn’t the paper working hard to assure that they are using this coverage and popularity for good? Instead of posting article and comic strips that out a bad light on our campus. Honestly, if a parent were taking a tour with their child and saw this comic strip, they would reasonably second guess bringing their child here. And I completely don’t blame them! Csc is a wonderful place and should be shown as that. The rants, the intrusions of personal life, and the offensive content needs to come to a stop, so that this paper will be as great as it can be! I personally do not have a problem with the members if the paper, simply the ways that they talk about campus, and those who attend this institution. If this many students are willing to step up and say something is wrong, isn’t it safe to say that a change needs to happen?
I completely agree Jon’s letter. There are plenty of people who feel very offended by the articles that this paper produces. On the other hand many students do not wish to complain because they don’t see it as helpful since they use “free speech” to post what they wish to regardless of how the students here at CSC feel about it. I also find it ridiculous that now all of a sudden the comments are being made available that are in agreement with Jon’s point of view. The other comments that were not in agreement with Jon were up right away. If the Eagle claims to be fair and unbiased this is not the way to go about showing that. I know many people who don’t even bother to read this paper any more because of the context within it and that’s exactly how I feel.