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Staff Editorial

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Foul!

To the editor,

I had heard a rumor about Jonathan O' Neal being dismissed because of his article "Boycott Chartwells if you want breakfast," (Opinion, Feb. 14). I read today's letters to the editor, and I'm thoroughly confused by Dana Enriquez's letter as well as Jaime Seamands'. O'Neal's column was placed in the Opinion section not to voice the opinion of The Daily Cougar but his own. That is in fact what the Opinion section is for.

I read the article. I went around asking residents if any of them had known about the changes made to Chartwells and each replied that they hadn't heard anything about it until O' Neal's article.

I could not find one outright slanderous remark against anyone in O' Neal's article. What I did find was his opinion on the issue, and nothing more than that.

The editor's note claims that O' Neal should "stay away from personal attacks." I sat there with a friend of mine as we both read the article scanning for these supposed personal attacks that O'Neal supposedly placed on someone else.

Never once did he refer to a specific person. He spoke of the people "representing those living on campus." He's absolutely right. The notification that we were given was completely unacceptable. As he said, he doesn't live on campus and he knew what had happened before I or any of my fellow dorm occupants knew.

I find it completely absurd that any person would accuse O' Neal of personally attacking them in that article. Whoever is accusing him must have seriously been scanning it for the slightest implications in order to twist his words around into some kind of slanderous remark. It is in my strong opinion that O'Neal should be re-hired. 

Farah Farooqi,
sophomore, electrical engineering

To the editor,

I sit here writing this e-mail to you, while I should be studying for an exam that I have tomorrow. But due to the two letters, "Check your facts," (Letters, Feb. 16) about your previously employed opinion writer Jonathan O' Neal, I am writing this instead. These letters seem to me as being the reaction of a little five-year-old boy caught with his finger in the icing of a freshly baked cake.

Both Jamie Seamands and Dana Enriquez make very interesting points on how the students of the Quad were informed of the current issues dealing with Oberholtzer. I, who live here in Taub Hall, do not recall ever being informed through my mail or by my representatives about this issue.

The fact of the matter is that Seamands and I live in the same building, and I never knew that she was involved with the Residence Halls' Association. Now that her obligations have been challenged, she stands up. But I don't recall her, nor my representative, telling me what was happening at OB.

I feel that O'Neal as a writer fulfilled his obligations to the readers by informing us about the things that go on this campus when he doesn't even live here. I must agree with his argument about inept representatives.

As a resident I don't even get a newsletter or flyer that states what issues are being addressed at any meeting that they have. Also, the only notification of any meeting is a flyer placed haphazardly on a pole in the doorway of the stairs.

If O'Neal lost his job over informing students, then the editor should lose his job for allowing articles like this to get past you.

Daniele Phillips,
sophmore psychology

Editor's note-- An influx of responses from concerned readers has made it necessary to clarify what I'd hoped would be the end of a delicate situation.

The Daily Cougar serves as a forum for all opinions. There does, however, come a point when you have to weigh a student's right to express an opinion against a total disregard for the responsibility which accompanies that right.

O'Neal's column was dropped, for one, failure to make certain his "facts" were correct, two, failure to at least attempt to contact people who could give their responses and three -- perhaps most importantly -- failure to acknowledge his duty as a writer. It's not a good idea for a columnist, or any staff writer for that matter, to say it is not his job to be certain that things are correct.

This is not the place to discuss the other more serious problems which led to O'Neal's dismissal. If he wishes to stir people into flooding the Cougar with calls for his re-hiring, he's more than welcome to do so.

No one at the Cougar will ever be fired simply for expressing an opinion. No submission will ever be kept from publication for that either.

Any reader who feels it's due to a disagreement over his Feb. 14 column is wrong. The decision to drop O' Neal's column is final. No amount of letters, e-mails or phone calls will bring him back.

O' Neal has arranged to make his case before the next Student Publications Committee meeting to be held Feb. 24. The public is invited.

Letters to the editor are welcome from all members of the UH community and should focus on issues, not personalities. Letters must be typed and must include the author's name, telephone number and affiliation with the University. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, language and space. Letters may be delivered in person to Room 151, Communication; e-mailed to dclettrs@mail.uh.edu; or faxed to (713) 743-5384.