I have several distinct and severe criticisms with The Polytechnic’s coverage of the Review Board appointees last week. Unfortunately, The Poly is refusing to publish my treatise on the issue as written, and instead is mandating that I cut approximately every other word before it can be printed. The article is quite lengthy, but so are the accusations which it refutes. To take a piece that accurately paints the picture of a process that has been sensationalized and willfully misrepresented by the editorial staff of The Poly, and then mandate that I remove such a significant amount of text to the point that what results will either be meaningless or appear unsubstantiated, is nothing short of The Poly silencing the critics of their own mishandled journalism.
I refuse to publish a piece that is anything less than the fully substantiated refutations to their baseless allegations, misapplied criticisms, and needless sensationalism.
I refuse to be unfairly painted as a racist, sexist, Greek-above-all-other authoritarian who is pushing an agenda to only appoint candidates who fit the criteria of white, male, fraternity boys.
I refuse to allow The Poly to unfairly criticize and admonish the Student Senate for failing in a situation where they did not fail.
I refuse to allow The Poly to claim that the Student Senate had a Machiavellian plot to silence the eyes and ears of the student body from mistakes they were trying to desperately cover up.
I also refuse to be silenced.
The Silenced Top Hat will be published in the other Union publication Statler & Waldorf, and will be available on the web at http://senate.union.rpi.edu/silencedtophat.pdf.
