Foolish Decisions Demand Reflection and Dialogue

"Y'see people, these are called jokes."

Dear Greg,

If you really feel like this is a B.S. apology, sue The Hoya and the university for discrimination. This seems sincere, and you should really grow up.

Yes, The Hoya screwed up here. And YES, they acknowledge it and are sorry for offending people. As a black student myself, I feel like my community is becoming the disgrace here. How inappropriate is it to sit in the newspaper office and project them as being insensitive? What do you really expect them to do about it?

Andrew, you made a mistake. And you are now being held accountable for it. Thank you for your apology and for working towards making sure this doesn't happen like this again.

- Also A Hoya

The Hoya should not have needed the campus community to inform them that their April Fool's content wasn't funny. That alone should be cause for serious concern, apology or no apology.

Just like certain jokes aren't made okay or funny through disclaimers and statements of intent, certain actions are not forgivable just because you apologize for them.

Andrew, please recognize that there is a reason that you and your staff found blatantly racist comments such as the one published in the April Fools edition and in countless other editions funny. That is a serious problem in itself and proves even more that a serious change needs to happen.

The Hoya's yearly "sorry for being racist" apology.

This is becoming an annual tradition, like a GUSA election fiasco.

Both sides need to get over themselves.

The biggest problem with this university is the river of egos that goes through it.

The Hoya should have been more responsible about some* of those jokes. Flat out.

But.

These campus diversity nonsense groups need to get off their horses and put down their torches because it's clear that all they are attempting here is to force their own agenda through events unworthy of such alarm.
If you are so worried about the state of diversity and the cohesiveness of our community why don't you make proactive attempts for a unified campus, rather than trying to bring people and reputations down with your own inflammatory wit?

To the Hoya staff and those angered, some advice,

Go out,make some friends, and give it a rest. You all look like children.

Sincerely
Batman

How come it's okay for a student to be given the last name "Stoned" and says that he lives in the rape tunnels of Village A but then at the same time it's not okay to make fun of the holier than thou attitude taken by some diversity crusaders? How come it's okay to tell an entire group of students that they "let us down" but mocking a washed up rap artist (who I certainly wouldn't want to be the representative of any community) is somehow off limits? Why can't we poke fun at the lack of diversity at Georgetown?

It was satire. It was poorly written satire (the only article I laughed at was the Madden tournament one, but that's because I've seen enough shotgun draw plays in my years at Georgetown to want to put a shotgun to my head) but it was satire nonetheless.

We need to stop making the excuse that "it's funny until it talks about my group" or that "certain issues can't be made fun of". Either everything is fair grounds for jokes or nothing is. To claim otherwise is discrimination, plain and simple.

The fact that so many groups were roused shows that the jokes are good.

Get over it.

If you welcome dialogue, why are you deleting my comments? Are they that scary to you? WTF?

Your whole staff loved the issue. You are responsible for it. At least Simon Wu had already been held accountable for his actions when he made his apology. You should quit and so should managing editor if you really are so out of touch you think this would fly.

And racist humor isn't a sign of a good joke. I have no idea how any intelligent person can think that.

"I wanted to thank you all for your hard work this past week and especially this weekend. It really showed in the exceptionally funny issue we put out (and of course in the great online content we had). I know it was a lot of work, but everyone's dedication to making this issue work and commitment to making everything perfect couldn't have been more apparent or more appreciated."
-Managing Editor Dina Guenther, 4/1/09

Oops! Looks like somebody's incompetent. Keep deleting it. It only shows how desperate you idiots are to hide your involvement in the issue.

I am thoroughly disappointed with the Hoya and those of you who believe that this is a joke and that pepople need to get over themsleves. Clearly you don't understand the issue.

Why should we make the effort when we're not even welcomed in the community?

Georgetown is full of insensitive pampered CHILDREN who don't understand real life or the issues of others.

As a senior I am disappinted in all that Georgetown claims to be.

If this is what Georgetown supports and by this I mean racism then Georgetown won't get a dime of my money when I graduate.

Greg are you the same Greg who somehow got a hold of a note from the managing editor thanking her staff -- god forbid -- and then used it as a reason the editor should resign? Why don't you get over yourself with these flimsy calls for resignations. If you are offended -- and you have a right to be -- start or contribute to dialogue about race and diversity on campus. If you just want to ruffle feathers and artificially stir up controversy, go do it somewhere else.

I think The Hoya started a controversy for me by being so unfunny and racist, actually.

Well "Disapointed Senior" enjoy not giving any money after you graduate. I'm sure you will enjoy flashing around your degree from a "racist" institution. You and others like you who have felt trodden upon must really be troopers for staying at such a horrible place. The fact of the matter though is that for every reason it's so horrible you have a place in it and the responsibility to have made it better. You failed like your peers, so quit crying.

Why so serious?

Sincerely,
Batman

So..Racist issue was made. Racist issue was praised by the staff. And you're saying it's the minorities' fault for not getting volunteering to work for The Hoya, one of the worst college newspapers there is? I'm sure you also blame the gays in Nazi Germany for not being more vocal and changing the system before they were exterminated.

"And you're saying it's the minorities' fault for not getting volunteering to work for The Hoya, one of the worst college newspapers there is?"

... I think Gregg has a beef with someone at The Hoya. Someone rip on a story, Gregg? Mad at an editor because you didn't get that perfect story?

Good riddance. If the The Hoya is one of the worst college papers there is, your reporting certainly didn't do anything to boost its reputation.

Get off the soapbox.

What's most amusing is you guys posting anonymous insults on your apology page. :)

everyone needs to lighten up a little. i doubt that people working at the hoya had racist intentions when producing the issue. i'm friends with a minority editor and she spends her life in that office, im sure she wouldnt do it if she felt alienated. at the same time, the april fools issue should just be discontinued if the community at georgetown isnt ready for it. the hoya administration shouldn't shoot themselves in the foot every time the april fools issue comes out.

For those of you who say, "get over it", let me help you understand the deeply offensive ramifications of this tasteless exercise in attempted satire. During slavery, blacks were forced to procreate with others, whether they wanted to or not, so that they could "breed" the strongest slave babies, who would then grow up to work in the fields. They were treated like dogs made to mate in order to have offspring with the strongest breeding pedigree. Your remarkably foul and vulgar comment took us all the way back to 1865 and really made your university look sad, backward, and confused. It went way beyond a tasteless joke. It was a commentary on how deep racial insensitivity goes. Here's a tip- next time you think that you are being funny by making fun of someone of another race, tell the joke to someone of that race and see if they laugh. The author should be ashamed, but I am mortified that no one on the editorial staff or the advisor had the common sense to know how ridiculously inappropriate that "satire" was, from the language to the subject matter. Really. It is a shame that in 2008, I had to waste my finger muscles typing this to educate you on something that you would have realized if you had simply paid attention in sixth grade history.

Who needs Juicy Campus when we have THE HOYA?

Cedric. I don't know you, but I hope we can talk some time. I'd rather not post this on a forum, but:
I don't know the answer to this issue, but the history of what you posted was not on anyone's mind while putting together the issue. The idea was to satirize SCU by pushing its aims from NSO programs and course requirements to demanding more interracial relationships. I thought it read as absurd and on the edge, but in no way hearkening back to slavery.
So I, as a member of The Hoya, read something differently than you did, presumably because we have different backgrounds and histories.
I don't know if that makes The Hoya the bad guys, insensitive, racist or obtuse. It certainly means you and I have different views, but I -- and I imagine just about everyone -- do not know how to reconcile that (apparently large) difference with the offense you feel.

fm

It's sentiments like these that have caused me (a bi-racial, bisexual, female) to distance myself from every campus group on a PC crusade with which I was formerly involved. I feel the need to preface what I'm about to write with my minority status because I know that I am likely to be called ignorant, or one who endorses "mental slavery" or insensitive or some other such nonsense.

I personally know some of the people who attended this sit-in, and I can't help but be amused by the blatant hypocrisy of the same people who freely boast about drug-addled weekends and nailing "big booty hos" getting up in a huff about this.

I thought that this issue of The Hoya was funny, and I think that all of you Crusaders need to learn to take a joke. It was published on April Fool's Day and was obviously a joke. All of you are espousing that the staff are racists, when most of you well know that you will be marrying inside your own race. Georgetown is a private Catholic school dominated by rich white kids. We will never be UC Berkeley or Hampshire College. You knew this when you decided to come here. Anyone who hates it so much here should transfer out and open up a spot for someone who will appreciate the tremendous opportunity of coming here.

The whole idea of a sit-in is laughable. You all make it sound as if the staff implemented segregated classrooms for a day.

If you don't like the newspaper, don't read it. Nobody is forcing it down your throat, much in the way nobody forces White Nationalist literature down your throat, and you don't read it (or protest it, for that matter). Better yet, why not write an Opinion piece and submit it for publication? Half of you don't even read The Hoya regularly and only picked up this issue to see what the buzz was about, and now you're going to jump on the bandwagon and hang the staff out to dry à la Don Imus. If you've ever laughed at Chris Rock, you've found humor in "racist" humor, so get off your high horse. If you've ever laughed at someone for being fat or ugly or stupid, you've exploited a difference in someone to get your kicks.

I'm going to go have a sit-in at the boat house at 5:00 tonight to protest the Crew team, since they don't allow overweight people to be on the team. Doughnuts will be served. Shortly thereafter we will storm the football field and make our cause heard; we want women to be able to play. There are blatant acts of "discrimination" every day on this campus. Focus on something that matters instead of metaphorically stoning the staff of The Hoya, who often pull all-nighters and sacrifice their weekends so you can enjoy your campus news in a timely manner.

Next year The Hoya should distribute blank pages on April 1st to make all of you humorless, overly sensitive Crusaders happy.

Cedric, I hate to break it to you, but it's 2009.

DONT FOLD TO THE PRESSURE.

Hypersensitivity has officially taken over Georgetown. God help us.

Wow, the PC police are in full force on this message board! All I did was call last year's Ed Board a bunch of pandering apologists and my comment was promptly flagged and removed. Yet no one seems to be removing comments calling The Hoya's current Ed Board racist (with one exception). Admittedly, I don't think there's much difference between a pandering apologist and a racist, but I think I would prefer to be called the former over the latter if I had to choose. I guess the pandering apologists out there disagree. Wonder why...

"I'm going to go have a sit-in at the boat house at 5:00 tonight to protest the Crew team, since they don't allow overweight people to be on the team.
"

If the crew coaches bashed Muslims and blacks like this issue did (or didn't allow them to play, then yes, you could have a sit in with the crew team.

Learn how to use analogies.

Greg, maybe you should learn how to read. The issue didn't bash anyone in particular. And, to be honest, if you understood satire at all, you'd realize they're bashing the white majority more than anything.

And why do you have such a vested interest in bringing down The Hoya? Sounds like you need to grow up.

is this why the april fools' issue of the hoya has been taken down? or was it never on the website? honestly, having lived in other large cities, i think that this school could be a lot more diverse. the intolerance that exists here is quite subtle at times but the april fools' issue probably went over the top. of course, not having read the articles, i can't say for sure. if the hoya were a humor magazine -- it could publish these things (it might not be the best humor magazine, but at least it wouldn't be passing as news). but, it is a well-respected campus institution supposedly for relatively objective _reporting_. the sense of humor used in the articles' titles, at least, is, to be frank, extremely inconsiderate.

Greg, I find it appalling that you would even insinuate that Dina Guenther should resign. I lived on her residence floor last year, and myself, and I'm sure many others who lived there, will attest to the fact that she is a sweet girl. She's helped me on more than one occasion in the past and I've never seen her to be malicious or discriminatory. On many a night I encountered her coming back from The Hoya office at 4:00 am because she'd spent her whole evening working on the paper. She is a Georgetown student who makes a large time sacrifice for something she is passionate about. Why don't you do the same instead of biding your time by spamming online message boards with half-assed calls to action? If you feel so strongly about the issue, why not provide some contact information so that you can engage in a productive discourse with those involved instead of airing out what you consider dirty laundry on the internet? Unlike you, I don't need to be anonymous; I would gladly say this to your face.

I also must wonder what kind of profound insight you think you're bestowing upon us by sharing the thank you note that she sent to her staff. Clearly, the entirety of the Hoya staff was involved in the production of this issue of the paper. We don't need you to point out the obvious.

The insight is that she thought the racist, stupid issue was "perfect." I'm glad to know she's a nice person but damn how can any competent editor say that? Jesus.

Again Greg, your hatred for The Hoya is clearly making your point mute. I'm sure the editor meant that the issue was perfect in the sense that production went smoothly and they had accomplished their goal of putting out the issue. I heard that the production night which the April Fool's issue was made on required double-duty from the staff - they published a JOKE ISSUE in print but also had to publish real news online.

And, quite frankly, although the decision making could have been better in some regards, they did a damn good job.

Lay off man, we're sick and tired of hearing from you. You've lost all of your credibility, so either say something substantial or shut up.

What's with the Hoya staff insisting on posting anonymous comments on their own apology page? It kind of undercuts an apology to say you did a damn good job.

Also, if a comment is not credible or substantial, just ignore it. And never forget that "mute" is not the same as "moot."

I suppose everyone who sat in at the hoya office also plans to sit in at the office of the onion and the colbert report and the daily show and bill maher and every other comedy show and publication. PLEASE.

PUH-LEASE!

Brava Jane Doe Hoya, Brava.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm glad to see someone stand up to the PC groups; especially someone who could easily join in on their power-trips and agendas.

Of all the comments I've read since I created this website a year and a half ago, yours has to be the best one. My hat off to you.

you created this site? can you make it not look ugly?

Thank you, Jane doe Hoya. Thank you.
People need to realize a few things
1.) The issue might not have been as funny as it could have/should have been, if it wanted to get across points about the lack of diversity on campus through satire.
2.) Unless the members of the community have never ever made even a mildly racist comment to anyone ever, they need to get down off that really high horse... and at least consent to talk to the people whose job they disrupted by a really childish "sit-in"
2a.) "Sit-in?" REALLY? Even using this term means that someone somewhere equates what the Hoya did with the original causes of the "sit-in" during the civil rights movement. Anyone who actually thinks the issues raised by the April Fools issue are on par with the racism surrounding the civil rights movement needs to get a grip.
3.) Why, of all groups, is the NAACP getting offended by the Chris Brown article? If anyone, it should be the Christians (especially Catholics) on campus who get upset about the desecration of one of their holy figures. Chris Brown wasn't used in this article because he is black, but rather because he beat his girlfriend. Maybe the Hoya could have used Devendorf instead- and if they had, I seriously doubt that white students would have been all over the Hoya office to protest the stereotyping of their race.
Finally, I understand how people are offended by this issue, I really do. But as I saw someone say on another comment threat, you have a right not be be discriminated against, but not a right not to get offended. Its really too bad that the humor aspect of this issue didn't come through as much as it clearly was intended to, but I also feel for the Hoya staff who had to put up with the childish silence at the sit-in, when many of them were legitimately trying to understand the problems, and all of them were simply trying to do their jobs and publish the main newspaper on campus.

Take this from someone who ISN'T an editor at the hoya, greg, just in case you need some help getting over yourself - go find somewhere else to whine. GUSA could probably use you.

And I doubt that an editor for the paper would write "mute" instead of "moot," regardless of their online identity.

You may not be an editor but you definitely like making juvenile insults anonymously. You should sign up!

If the point of the groups that are complaining about this issue of the Hoya are mad about insensitive generalizations about a specific ingroup, how come none of them are up in arms about the multitude of jokes made at the expense of "bros," MSB students, and other generalizations about your typical party animal?

I would like a serious answer about this please, because I would really like to know: does it make it ok because the jokes are about the majority? I thought the core idea behind being opposed to bigotry was the derisive generalization about a group of people? Catholics (which I am) and MSB students (am not) were also bashed in this issue, yet I did not hear the NAACP denounce these articles...

greg, hate to break it to you, but there's no massive conspiracy against you. Just no one likes your comments. You're not that important, get over yourself.

And Steve Holt: I am actually on the "It's was a joke that was largely unfunny, ease up" side.

But your post is still ridiculous. Race is nothing like the bro-ness of the MSB. There's a reason race is considered a 'suspect class' by the Supreme Court: because there is a long, reprehensible tradition of race-related hatred and discrimination in America.

There is not a centuries-long history of bro-oppression in the Western world. Bros were never enslaved by their less fratty compatriots, or captured and shipped from the Bro-therland to a foreign nation. Bros have not been the target of decades of Douglas Neidermeyer Laws in the early 20th century South. There were not separate Bro water fountains, bus seats, restaurants, etc.

So basically, the two are only marginally alike.

Catholics is closer, but the anti-Catholic tradition is nowhere near America's race problems in scope or scale.

Greg -- keep it up.

I'm a former EIC of the Hoya. My favorite book is American Psycho. My favorite TV show was Dave Chappelle -- though eastbound and down shows a lot a promise. Tropic Thunder was OK, but I love Cable Guy. Read the Onion every day.

The April Fools issue was offensive. The fact that people are on here, defending it -- I'm speechless. I was skeptical of some of SCUs ideas before, I mean, really did Georgetown need some PC crap pushed on the students.

Clearly, Georgetown students need some diversity training. Big time. And some satire training as well.

Per the Wikipedia: "The purpose of satire is not primarily humour in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of wit." Like the way Twain satirized the South in Huck Finn -- he was mocking the absurdity of Southern mores because he disagreed with those customs.

So, where is the satire in quoting a Japanese student speaking in broken english? Where is the "satire" in giving two members of the math club asian names (one Korean, one Japanese so clearly there is intent) as well saying they were asking for "asian" blow up dolls? Where is the satire in mocking interracial dating? Does the Hoya disapprove of interracial dating and bi-racial children?

I know that everyone has apologized. But how can it not trouble people that folks at the Hoya came up with this stuff in the first place? That there was no internal censor that said, wait, maybe this isn't such a great idea. How can you not be bothered that people are posting on here saying that the folks who staged the sit in were over reacting.

Over reacting? These articles are the most racially/gender/sexually insensitive thing I have witnessed since I was a kid overhearing old men tell off-color jokes. That these articles were written by citizens of the United States - unreal. That these articles were produced by students of a top 25 university - improbable. That these students are members of the student press -- unbelievable.

I am as white/straight/male as you can get and I love nothing more than the Hoya, a place that I spent countless hours at. My name is John Keenan, I graduated in 1998, was EIC in 1996 and I will not hide behind the veil of anonymity the internet is providing to some of you -- you can find me easily enough on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. What is wrong is wrong.

Incidents like this only demonstrate the need for groups like SCU.

Great post.

It's almost too ironic that people are posting anonymous personal insults on a comment thread about an issue that would not have been published without the veil of anonymity. If you can't put your name on it, if you'd be embarrassed to admit you wrote it, then don't write it.

If you really think this issue was funny and that the Hoya shouldn't have apologized, don't call yourself "thehoyasaxa" or "batman." Be a man about it.

Because "greg" is so much less anonymous than "thehoyasaxa." Clearly everyone can tell which greg on or off campus is making your comments.

John Keenan,
The issue was offensive, yes. It was supposed to be offensive- and you know that, I'm sure. There was supposed to be humor in the articles, found partially because they were so over-the-top offensive. Nobody was meant to take the comments themselves literally.
As for the math club piece, it was simultaneously making fun of an apology issued by the IRC earlier this year (which you may be unaware of) by taking the apology almost word-for-word and changing parts, as well as the stereotypes about asians. I'm half-asian and its nothing I haven't heard before- that doesn't make it okay, but since I understand that its not meant seriously, I am entirely unoffended.
As for the defenders of the issue (of which I count myself one), I have made some negative comments about the sit-in. I was not at the Hoya offices that night, and am glad I wasn't. Hoya staffers there apparently were having a pretty tough time getting work done, and some were genuinely trying to engage in dialogue with the protesters. If the protesters were actually trying to get something done, rather than make a grand gesture that the guys in Animal House would really appreciate, they would have been willing to talk with the people on the Hoya staff about how to make the issue better next year and better the paper as a whole. I know many of the editors on the Hoya, and I know they aren't racist. It really is too bad that this situation has arisen from a series of bad jokes.

As the former Business Manager-Elect and member of the Board of The Hoya from 1998-2001, I urged to put an end to the Fake Hoya in 2000 because it threatens the legacy of a newspaper that's over 80 years old and deviates from its mission of journalistic integrity.

If I was on the Board during this fiasco, which should never had happened in the first place, the most prudent decision would be to urge the Editor-in-Chief to resign and to direct the Editorial staff to provide more news coverage of minority groups on campus as well as in the community. An example of a news story that The Hoya should have covered is the protest by Deaf people and Gallaudet University students that occurred a few blocks from Georgetown University on 35th St on Friday, April 3rd. It would have been an opportunity for student journalists to cover a growing global movement for Deaf civil rights. I'm sure students, faculty and staff want to know why there were so many police cars and people protesting, especially if it disrupted traffic in the area. The Hoya was alerted about this protest repeatedly weeks in advance and failed to cover it.

Instead, all I read about is weak apologies and a lack of integrity by The Hoya's leadership.

Disorder: white guilt syndrome, a widespread and recurrent on campus.

Diagnosis: include at least six of the following symptoms

1) apologizes for being white
2) apologizes for being talented
3) apologizes for having successful parents and a good education
4) chronically apologizes for not having enough empathy with drug addicts, drug dealers and hustlers
5) follows the pretense that that which is not geared towards blacks is racist
6) cannot get over the fact an ethnic group comprising 12% of the American population makes so much damn noise
7) is constantly pushed around by this ethnic group
8) actually believes that the crimes of slavery and segregation is his fault

Treatment: growing a brain and growing a pair

The Hoya's April Fool's issue was about the "noisiest" thing that's happened on campus this year, and there wasn't a single black person on the staff.

The Hoya's lousy paper is some "damn noise" if I've ever heard it. I'm glad the protesters had the n-ts to shut them up.

I suppose that The Hoya is racist also because there are no blacks on the staff? Soon you'll be suggesting affirmative action for student groups.

Its not like the Hoya is actively shutting out minorities from its staff- people have enumerated already the likely reasons for this lack of diversity at the Hoya.
It doesn't take "n-ts" to stage a protest like that. They were in no danger, and there wasn't any major opposition to it. The people, like me, who think it was a bit sanctimonious and not particularly productive, still weren't going to do anything to stop it. They have (and had) the right to protest, much as the Hoya had the right to print what it did (and before attacking me for that statement, PLEASE read the other things I've written. I'd rather not restate what I think about this issue again).

I don't think the Hoya is racist because of their demographics. I was simply using the fact that there are no people of a certain "ethnic group" on their staff, and yet they manage to "make so much damn noise" with their disgusting and offensive sense of humor.

You, on the other hand, are a racist, because you equate a certain "ethnic group" with "drug dealers and hustlers" and imply that only white parents can be "successful."

You're one of those folks who thinks that everything's fine, and that people of color are just stirring up trouble for no reason, "making noise" when they try to correct a wrong. You're unable to understand that our society is already "geared towards" whites in a structural way (no matter how you want to dice it, education, economics, health, justice system... the list goes on).

For example, old white men are way, way over-represented in the US Senate.. does that mean that old white men are making too much "damn noise" in that chamber of Congress?

Well, thanks for your noise.

Disappointed Senior: Why would an insensitive HOYA issue and some comments by some people cause you to make a blanket statement about what Georgetown supports and that you won't give a dime after you graduate? There were probably 20 staff members at the Hoya responsible for the issue and another 100 community members who are making negative comments out of a total community of students, faculty and staff of 15,000+. This is not a racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, and whatever else University. It is a University that has some racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, and whatever else individuals, just like every other institution.

88% of the population has to change for the other 12%. Keep putting your hand out.

Before anyone argues to this that the April Fools Issue should not have been written the way that it was and that the editors should have read more carefully what was being publiched, of course. This is extremely evident, and yes, maybe The Hoya staff did need a wake up call from the community to be more aware of the impact of their words and the divisions they cause in the community. I understand, and agree. I also agree that there was multiple parties that were affected by this issue and it is not a simple race, religion, ethnicity issue. I agree things that were published should never have even been thought about SO:

After reading the Hoya's April Fools issue and listening to the forum, it is evident that the articles were distasteful and lacked sensitivity on multiple levels. Moving past that (because that issue has been voiced and apologized for over and over) it's time to move forward. The Hoya as an organization is scrutinized at a higher level than a personal blog or even individual article in the paper because it is the newspaper of record for Georgetown. By having this title, there are expectations from the community that have not been met. These expectations need to be met, but after reading The Hoya's proposals for moving forward and listening to concerns at the forum, I think the Hoya is aware of what needs to be done to regain that credibility and trust. No voice is more important than the other. I think it's important to bring idea articles to The Hoya. One concrete suggestion would be (like another DC school newspaper does) is to have a weekly meeting open to the community to pitch article topics and assign a staff writer to cover it. It's a productive way to voice everything anyone thinks is worthy of being reported and have a name of an individual who will be responsible for covering that event. If nothing else, I'm sure each subject will get mentioned in the paper, the online edition, or a blog.

Secondly (pertaining to Andrew) I give him (and The Hoya staff/board) so much credit for working to initiate a campus wide dialogue. The divisions that I've seen and heard about on Georgetown's campus seem much more deeply rooted than just within the Hoya. I think anyone can agree that racial, ethnic, religious, etc. insensitivity is a wide spread issue that goes beyond what the Hoya writes or does not write. The same issues are present at other schools, and speaking from my own experience, it is not completely the fault of one individual or organization. Andrew is a leader and has shown that he is willing and eager to move forward with the best interest of the community in mind. To address concerns that Andrew is not the best representation of The Hoya, I would argue the exact opposite. Andrew has been repeatedly reminded of the divisions The Hoya has caused in the past. He and The Hoya representatives have shown that, while they do not have all the answers right now, they do have the ability to learn and move forward seeking the support of the community. Personally, I see Andrew’s ability to lead by example. While I respect the fact that others may not agree, Andrew seems willing to start reforms and move forward. To me, he is exactly what a Hoya leader should be. He is loyal to his staff, admits to mistakes, and looks for the input of the community to try and make everyone heard. Instead of sitting in his office, Andrew has put himself out there and listened to the good and the bad.

While you may not agree with the decisions of The Hoya as an organization, Andrew is working to lead by example to bring the community together after such deep hurt. I give him credit by sticking by the organization that he has dedicated so much time to, and also for sticking by the community and admitting that The Hoya needs help from the community to grow as an organization. I would rather see a leader who admits mistakes and asks for help to move forward. I agree that there needs to be sensitivity/diversity training for the staff, but realize that Andrew is asking for the opportunity to learn. No apology he gives can take away what was written, but give him the chance to learn from this, because everyone has something to contribute to this healing process.

as a recent alum, i'm most embarassed about how immaturely the campus community has reacted. it's been said before: no one has the right to not be offended. grow up

In looking over the April Fools edition once again it has struck me that perhaps the most troublesome pieces in it are the two “chill the fuck out” introductions (”In This Issue,” page 1 and “No Offense,” page 2). The tone of these is insulting and didactic - basically telling the reader that if they find anything in the paper offensive, they have a stick/rod/baton up their ass. The result is that anyone who was offended by the content is now doubly angry - for the original offense, and for the subsequent insult.

If the Hoya wants to publish satire - whether viciously racist (ie. “We Need More Interracial Loving”) or quite genuinely clever (ie. “Working for Corp Classified as Alternative Lifestyle) - they should at least have the guts to do so without preceding it with childish “disclaimers” that only serve to increase the divide between the paper and a large portion of its readership.

This was a really corny issue that offended a lot of people. I'm sure that some people chuckled at some of the articles but it really was not that funny. If you are going to publish an issue that offends so many people, at least make sure people will actually find it funny. Maybe my removal from campus or age factors into my distaste for the humor in this paper but it really had no redeeming characteristics at all. I thought the comment about the University's president banging a Chinese pornstar was completely tasteless. Hopefully you all will learn from this but based upon the things I've been hearing about your paper in recent years you won't. There are much more meaningful ways to generate dialogue about the issues that you all attempted to satirize but after reading this paper I would be surprised if anyone on your staff was generally interested. You all have to realize that alums hear about and read your publication online as well. Issues like this may have something to do with the problem that "Swedish made penis enlarger" wrote about on the front page. Some of the stuff in here seemed like something a middle school kid would have written.