The
      Panther
      Prints
      6%
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      28,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Letters
      to
      the
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Letter
      to
      the
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      last
      week’s
      edition
     
     
      of
      the
      Panther
      Prints
      there
     
     
      appeared
      an
      article
      entitled
     
     
      “Digging
      Up
      Dirt...”
      in
     
     
      which
      the
      Soc/Anth
      Depart-
     
     
      ment
      was
      portrayed
      in
      a
      un-
     
     
      just
      manner,
      singling
      out
      one
     
     
      professor
      in
      particular.
      This
     
     
      was
      completely
      inappropri-
     
     
      ate;
      a
      prime
      example
      of
      in-
     
     
      competent
      journalism.
      I
      am
     
     
      left
      to
      assume
      that
      Ms
     
     
      Caseley’s
      intention
      was
      to
     
     
      create
      a
      scandal
      through
      the
     
     
      use
      of
      unscrupulous
      sensa-
     
     
      tionalism.
      If
      the
      goal
      was
      to
     
     
      reduce
      the
      student
      newspa-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      per
      to
      tabloid
      status
      then
      I
      must
     
     
      commend
      Caseley
      on
      a
      job
     
     
      well
      done.
     
    

    
     
      The
      article
      in
      question
     
     
      was
      amisinterpretation
      of
      facts
     
     
      creating
      a
      picture
      which
      is
     
     
      completely
      distorted.
      I
      be-
     
     
      lieve
      it
      is
      the
      responsibility
      of
     
     
      a
      reporter
      to
      present
      all
      as-
     
     
      pects
      of
      any
      given
      story,
      to
     
     
      present
      information
      in
      the
      con-
     
     
      text
      in
      which
      it
      was
      intended,
     
     
      and
      to
      remain
      impartial
      allow-
     
     
      ing
      readers
      to
      form
      his/her
      own
     
     
      opinion.
      I
      am
      sure
      that
      had
     
     
      Caseley
      consulted
      with
      others
     
     
      involved
      in
      each
      incident
      an-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      other
      viewpoint
      would
      have
     
     
      emerged
      and
      indeed
      pre-
     
     
      vailed
      over
      the
      narrow
      ac-
     
     
      counts
      she
      had
      given.
     
     
      Although
      misleading
     
     
      the
      public
      seems
      to
      be
      com-
     
     
      mon
      practice
      amongst
      mem-
     
     
      bers
      of
      the
      media
      it
      does
      not
     
     
      mean
      it
      is
      excusable.
      The
     
     
      article
      is
      nothing
      short
      of
     
     
      slander,
      in
      fact,
      the
      sole
      ob-
     
     
      jective
      was
      obviously
      to
      cre-
     
     
      ate
      a
      controversy
      with
      abso-
     
     
      lutely
      no
      reagard
      for
      proper
     
     
      journalistic
      procedure.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Sherri
      Doherty.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      the
      editor:
     
    

    
     
      In
      response
      to
      the
      arti-
     
     
      cle
      "Digging
      up
      Dirt
      on
      the
     
     
      Soc/Anth
      Dept",
      I
      would
      like
     
     
      to
      clarify
      some
      of
      the
      facts.
     
     
      This
      sordid
      attempt
      to
      attack
     
     
      the
      department
      and
      crucify
     
     
      the
      professors
      within
      was
     
     
      mortifying.
      Ms.
      Casely
      does
     
     
      not
      speak
      for
      all
      the
      students
     
     
      at
      UPEI;
      I
      would
      even
      go
      so
     
     
      far
      to
      say
      that
      her
      followers
     
     
      are
      few
      in
      number.
     
     
      Ms.Casely
      quoted
      erroneous
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hearsay
      on
      the
      issue
      of
      the
      201
     
     
      class.
      I
      was
      in
      that
      class
      and
     
     
      Ms.
      "MacDonald’s"
      response
     
     
      to
      Holbrook
      when
      he
      retuned
     
     
      her
      paper
      graded
      49%
      was
      out
     
     
      of
      context
      and
      extreme.
      He
     
     
      would
      not
      fail
      a
      student
      on
     
     
      such
      a
      basis.
      To
      my
      knowl-
     
     
      edge,
      the
      lady
      refered
      to
      was
     
     
      weighed
      down
      with
      other
     
     
      pressing
      issues,
      which
      she
     
     
      brodcast
      both
      in
      and
      out
      of
     
     
      class.
      It
      is
      not
      my
      belief,
      nor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      should
      it
      be
      her’s,
      that
      the
     
     
      stress
      of
      her
      ‘ordeal’
      con-
     
     
      tributed
      to
      her
      'breakdown'.
     
     
      I
      am
      a
      single
      mother
      with
     
     
      two
      small
      children,
      and
      am
     
     
      also
      a
      full
      time
      student.
      I
     
     
      myself
      have
      failed
      a
      course.
     
     
      If
      I
      took
      a
      breakdown
     
     
      everytime
      I
      ran
      into
      stress,
     
     
      I'd
      be
      in
      Unit
      9forever.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jennifer
      Blagden
     
     
      3rd
      year
      Anthropology
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      the
      editor,
     
    

    
     
      To
      the
      great
      dismay
      of
      many
      an
      aspiring
      journalist,
      this
     
     
      is
      not
      the
      first
      time,
      nor
      will
      it
      be
      the
      last,
      that
      a
      young,
     
     
      ambitious
      ‘journalist’,
      in
      believing
      that
      she
      has
      found
      the
      ‘big
     
     
      scoop’,
      has
      fallen
      flat
      on
      her
      face.
      It’s
      sad,
      really,
      that
      such
     
     
      things
      must
      happen,
      but
      I
      suppose
      that
      it
      is
      the
      bad
      things
      in
      this
     
     
      world
      that
      help
      us
      recognize
      the
      good.
     
    

    
     
      I
      have
      no
      doubt
      Ms.
      eats
      felt
      entirely
      justified
      in
     
     
      titling
      her
      ‘article’
      “Digging
      up
      Dirt’,
      for
      it
      is
      at
      that
      level
      of
     
     
      investigation
      and
      journalistic
      integrity
      falls,
      that
      is
      to
      say,
      in
     
     
      the
      dirt.
      I
      simply
      don’t
      see
      an
      article
      worthy
      of
      print
      in
      a
     
     
      supposedly
      respectable
      paper
      --
      rather,
      I
      see
      a
      malicious,
     
     
      misguided,
      biased,
      and
      libelous
      attempt
      at
      sensationalism.
     
    

    
     
      And
      sensationalism,
      not
      truth
      or
      objectivity,
      was
      Ms.
     
     
      Casely’s
      desired
      result.
      Because
      I
      am
      neither
      cowardly
      nor
     
     
      malicious,
      I
      am
      unafraid
      to
      attach
      my
      name
      to
      my
      statements.
     
     
      Neither
      is
      my
      associate,
      Ryan
      Mccarville,
      who
      was
      present
      at
     
     
      the
      so-called
      interview
      she
      conducted.
      By
      her
      own
      admission
     
     
      (and
      this
      is
      not
      hearsy
      or
      rumour;
      I
      can
      back
      up
      my
      claims
      with
     
     
      more
      than
      opinions)
      Ms
      Casely
      informed
      me
      that
      her
      intent
     
     
      was
      to
      create
      an
      article
      worth
      of
      print
      on
      the
      national
      level,
      at
     
     
      which
      point
      she
      explained
      that
      she
      wished
      us
      to
      put
      credence
     
     
      to
      a
      list
      of
      simply
      outlandish
      rumours.
      When
      Ryan
      and
      I,
      who
     
     
      could
      not
      morally
      answer
      such
      tripe,
      declined,
      she
      replied
     
     
      “You
      guys
      are
      no
      fun.
      I
      want
      some
      good
      dirt.”
     
    

    
     
      No
      mention,
      I
      am
      sorry
      to
      say,
      was
      made
      of
      the
      great
     
     
      number
      of
      positive
      items
      of
      interest
      we
      did
      discuss,
      such
      as
      the
     
     
      progressive
      elements
      we
      are
      currently
      working
      toward
      in
     
     
      concert
      with
      the
      faculty,
      which
      stand
      only
      to
      benefit
      students.
     
     
      Disregarded
      were
      the
      excellent
      record
      of
      the
      Soc/Anth
      Soci-
     
     
      ety,
      the
      new
      Honours
      program,
      or
      the
      large
      majority
      of
      happy
     
     
      students.
     
    

    
     
      I
      also
      ask
      Ms.
      Casely
      to
      reflect
      on
      the
      commom
      coin.
     
     
      One
      will
      notice,
      with
      a
      tiny
      measure
      of
      observation
      and
     
     
      thought,
      that
      the
      coin
      does
      have
      two
      sides,
      both
      of
      which,
      while
     
     
      contributing
      to
      the
      whole
      of
      the
      coin,
      bear
      different
      designs
      and
     
     
      likenesses.
      Consider
      the
      coin
      a
      little
      more
      Ms
      Casely;
      it
      will
     
     
      reveal
      a
      great
      number
      of
      truths.
     
    

    
     
      Next
      time,
      Ms
      Casely,
      make
      an
      attempt
      to
      interview
      all
     
     
      those
      involved
      in
      an
      issue.
      An
      interpretation
      of
      a
      chain
      of
     
     
      events
      is
      just
      that
      --
      not
      necessarily
      the
      truth.
      Otherwise,
      only
     
     
      the
      Panther
      Prints
      and
      its
      like
      will
      be
      signing
      yrue
      meagre
     
     
      paycheck.
     
    

    
     
      In
      conclusion,
      I
      hereby
      formally
      request
      an
      apology
      to
     
     
      be
      made
      on
      the
      part
      of
      Ms.
      Casely
      and
      the
      Panther
      Prints
      to
      all
      '
     
     
      parties
      named
      and
      implied
      in
      the
      article,
      for
      its,
      malicious,
      and
     
     
      misguided
      intent.
     
    

    
     
      And
      like
      I
      said,
      remember
      the
      coin
      has
      two
      sides.
      You
     
     
      will
      find,
      I
      think,
      that
      one
      side
      often
      evens
      out
      the
      other.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Micheal
      G.
      Drake
     
     
      President,
      Soc\Anth
      Society