In last Friday's Daily, a flagrant disservice was done to both the student body and the visiting trustees ("Trustees should consider approving 150-bed dorm," 2/9). The editorial was plagued by misinformation and incomplete research. Surely, the only things that an editorial so outrageous did was put a nail in the coffin of media integrity and give a patently false impression of the housing crisis at this university.
The Daily purported to know the content of Vice President Bernstein and Student Trustee Representative Jesse Levey's proposals before they were even finalized. As a result, the Daily incorrectly reported the content of both Levey and Bernstein's presentations. When the Daily's incorrect speculation was expounded, the only thing left was a piece that contradicted itself, showed little understanding of the housing issue, and lacked research and fact checking.
The article ended in laughable hypocrisy. It stated that "Levey should focus his energy on securing from the Trustees one basic concession: That all students at Tufts be given a place to live." In a previous paragraph the Daily stated, "By most accounts, the unfulfilled demand for on-campus housing is far greater than 150 beds." How on earth does the Daily get the nerve to criticize someone pushing to ensure that the all 300 students in need of housing "be given a place to live" and yet push for a proposal that does not come close to that goal? More than one trustee remarked on this and other obvious contradictions within the article, concurring with our sentiments.
Pertinent information is the most important component of any controversial decision. The Trustees understood the real issues, had the applicable information, and talked with knowledgeable people; because of that they better understood the problem and will be making steps towards completely fixing the housing crisis. We will make that argument clear, whether the Daily chooses to or not, in the very near future.
Tommy Calvert LA, '02
Adam Carlis LA, '03
Jesse Levey LA,'02
Alethea Pieters LA, '02
