Comments on: Mukasey Denied Founder's Medal

By: Caesarus

Caesarus — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:27:36 +0000

If this was in op/ed, the headline would not be misleading, etc. However, this article is being presented as news. I don’t need to remind you that this is NOT a football game or the academy awards. It is a law school, where public representations of the school’s actions may have serious consequences.Not only that, but as future (and current) lawyers, we have a professional obligation to present the news in a manner that cannot be construed as biased. See http://www.abanet.org/cpr/mrpc/rule_3_6.html (One "shall not make a[]… statement that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by means of public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing a[]… proceeding in the matter"). The fact that the title was changed in the first place demonstrates that someone obviously thought the first headline wasn’t grabbing enough to stand, and it really worries me that the desire for publicity would overtake the importance of an unbiased title.As I alluded to above, we need to remember that we represent BC here, and while I agree that Mr. Stellato may have "provided a phenomenal service… in the form of this blog", I am strongly adverse to presenting such opinions as "news" when we have the world watching.

By: Dan Roth '04

Dan Roth '04 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:16:05 +0000

In defense of the author, who has provided a phenomenal service to the BCLS community in the form of this blog, there is nothing inaccurate about the headline. A running back can be "denied" a touchdown, though he was never guaranteed the six points, an actress can be "denied" an Oscar for which she was nominated, though of course she was one of several nominees, etc. As Dean Garvey’s memo clearly states, and as everyone in the community knows, the Founder’s Medal has traditionally been awarded to the Commencement Speaker. Thus, whether or not Dean Garvey had previous conversations with the provost about changing this practice before the current controversy, it is entirely accurate under the circumstances to state that Mr. Mukasey was "denied" the award that everyone reasonably expected he would receive.The headline is not, as Mr. Pavz writes, "biased," "misleading," "false," "careless[]," or "not the truth," and attacking it (and the messenger) in this way detracts from an otherwise important debate.

By: Caesarus

Caesarus — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:35:52 +0000

Mr. Stellato,I object to your biased and misleading title of this article. More research should be done before such headlines are carelessly thrown out.Because that is not the truth, it's a false implication. As expressed in the memo posted today (http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/meta-elements/pdf/LettertoCommunity_Mukasey.pdf ), there were talks about not giving the founders medal to commencement speakers before the invitation was sent out to Mukasey.I understand that one could say that he was denied because even though talks were had, the administration made their decision here, and that they should have come out earlier. I might even agree with that opinion, but the fact remains, the headline is implying something that is not true, because the offer of the medal was never extended to him in the first place, and just because the law school is breaking from tradiyion does not mean it is DENYING him such an honor.As a self-proclaimed news blog and representative of Boston College, we have a duty to report the news while still portraying BC in a true (which in my opinion also equals good) light. Any indication of rescindment is bad, especially if it was never rescinded.I do believe it could be construed that it is a statement that the administration chose this year to act, but still... implications based on nothing but circumstance is not news, it's gossip. Sure, but that is what editorials and opinion articles are for... but it should not be paraded as headline news, in my humble opinion. I have no problem with politically charged articles - rather, I enjoy them - however, if it's not news, don't make it a headline on something considered to be a news blog.For example of a proper headline portraying the truthful and accurate news, see http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/03/bc_law_school_w.htmlPlease don't take this as an attack upon yourself, as I know this has happened on this website previously in other articles. I just think that people who report in the news section on this website need to be more responsible if they are going to be portraying and representing my school, which I have great pride for, regardless of which speaker they invite.-CPPS - On a side note, I am very curious as to why the article name was changed from its original title in the first place - "Mukasey will not receive Founder's Medal", when no statement had been released, and as far as I can see, other than seeking a confirmation, no research had been done.

By: CaitVaughn

CaitVaughn — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:34:36 +0000

I think this is the best compromise solution that the administration has available – it doesn’t leave the 3Ls in the lurch for a graduation speaker, while at the same time expressing the BCLS Community’s ambivalence about the invitation. My only concern about the move (one I would hope the Administration anticipated) is Mukasey’s reaction to the move. Will he withdraw if he’s not getting the Founders’ Medal? And, if so, would that be such a bad thing? I hope that the Administration, LSA and ACS will still host the forum on waterboarding and the AG’s position on the subject, as it is a topic worth discussing at greater length. ~Caitlin Vaughn ‘09