I would like to take this opportunity to clarify some rumors regarding our coverage of the Judicial Board case involving The Weekly and Mary Cunningham.

Any attempt to interfere with our ability to distribute the newspaper is something we take seriously. When our right to distribute is infringed, so is our ability to discuss important issues facing Gustavus. We distributed 1,200 copies on Feb. 26, 2010, and roughly 300 copies were removed to a few residence halls. This means 25 percent of our distributed copies were unavailable to any students who do not live in those few buildings. This is disturbing since students across campus have as much a right to access those newspapers as any other student.

Another issue I wish to address is my decision to hire a reporter from Mankato State University to cover the hearing. An administrator in the Dean of Students’ Office first suggested the idea to me, and after considering the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics’ call to avoid even the perception of bias, I decided to hire Nate Brennan, the MSU Reporter’s variety editor, to cover the hearing. However, after objections by Cunningham and a conversation with Dean of Students Jeff Stocco, I decided to ask Brennan not to cover the hearing nor be involved in any coverage at the Reporter. I would like to thank Nate for understanding in this matter.

Case Day—though troubling in its own right—is emblematic of a culture of dangerous drinking at Gustavus. It is a miracle that Gustavus has not lost a student to alcohol poisoning in recent years, and our community has not done enough to address this issue. I don’t know how to address this issue, but I do know that ignoring it will accomplish nothing.