ConversationAn Article: Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and the advisor to the student newspaper. Student: Hi, um, I'm the president of the backpacking club and? Advisor: You wanna talk about the article. Student: How did you know? Advisor: Oh, we've had quite a few calls about it. Student: I'd imagine. I was really surprised you even don't print it because it was just, you know, really slanted. Advisor: Well, that was never our intention but I can understand why you might feel that way. You have to understand that this is a student paper. I'd like to let the reporters and editors cover the news as they see fit. I don't normally tell them who they sould or shouldn't interview, for example. That said in this case perhaps I should have gotten more involved. Student: So you are gonna run a retraction then. Advisor: Well, what was reported wasn't erroneous but the reporter definitely should have done more work to present multiple perspectives on the issue. I pretty much took him to task about it at this morning's editorial meeting. Student: How did he respond? Advisor: He basically defended his article on the grounds that the person he interviewed was like a university's dean of students, and the dean's point of view was that nonacademic club should not receive the same level of funding that the university gives to academic clubs, clubs like the Engineering Club, and the Physics Society. Student: The Laker University Jazz Band was mentioned as an academic club, too. Advisor: Well, a lot of members are music majors. Student: Well, a lot of backpacking club members are environmental science majors and I can't believe the jazz band members just sit around talking about music theory all the time. They probably jammed and performed mostly for fun I imagine. Advisor: I see your point. Student: An there's nothing wrong with that. They're using what they are learning in the classroom and adding to it, and it's the same way with us. Backpacking and environmental education go hand-in-hand. Like one of our members is a graduate student and he teaches an intro to environmental science class and on our hikes he identifies interesting plants and points out watersheds and things like that. Advisor: Okay, well, the reporter who wrote Monday's piece is already working on a follow-up story. He is out there right now getting responses to the dean's remarks but that doesn't preclude us from also running an opinion piece on the editorial page, an opinion piece written by someone like you, someone with strong feelings and good argument. Interested? Student: Oh, I don't know about that. I've never done anything like that. Advisor: All you'd need to do is reiterate what you told me and be sure to backup your opinions with anecdotes and facts, like the member of backpacking club members who major in environmental science and how that graduate student you mentioned takes the lead on your hikes. The editor can always polish your prose as necessary. Student: Hum, how about if I talk to that reporter instead? Advisor: Um, okay. That should work, too. Why don't you give me your contact info and I can pass it along when he comes in.