This is an open letter to the people who destroyed Friday’s newspaper and staged the subsequent rally at the MLK Commons.

Your actions are the worst display of public behavior I have ever seen during my four years on this campus. Who do you think you are denying the fee-paying students of this campus access to their daily paper? Where is freedom of the press? Freedom of speech? It’s non-existent because you are cowards. If you had any balls you’d be writing letters, joining the Northern Star staff or starting your own paper if you are so dissatisfied with this publication. Instead you resort to the cheap theatrics no better than book burning. Anyone can hide behind the anonymity of an irate mob destroying newspapers (Which you took no regards for the merchants and organizations that pay for advertising space, not that I’d expect somebody of your mentality to). You claim the Northern Star treats blacks unfairly in their coverage. Why, because they print truths? If three black people beat up a white person (or vice versa) why shouldn’t it be in print? It’s true. You say it hurt Black History Month. Too damn bad. It’s still true. A newspaper is not a public relations firm nor should it be expected to behave like one.

Remember, next time your club, greek organization, social group, religion, race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, etc., is portrayed in a negative light in context of reporting facts, please try and refrain from having a gut level emotional response. Instead, make a more productive gesture instead of the mindless and needless destruction of the written word.

Tony Nowobielski

Senior

Human Resource Mgmt