WNB

New College students deserve an apology
Letter to the Editor | Sarasota Herald-Tribune | 9/4/2005

Your article on the alleged prevalence of marijuana use at New College was shabby, shoddy journalism. Although your reporter pretended to be balanced and objective, this was belied by the large sensational headline "Cannabis College," by the flippant tone ("far out"), and by the huge photo faked by your staff. (New College does not produce school letter jackets, much less letter jackets with a marijuana leaf superimposed on the school's initials.)

The key "fact" inspiring this lengthy, rambling essay is New College's appearance -- along with some of the best schools in the country -- on High Times magazine's list of so-called cannabis colleges. Since the editor of that eminent journal admits, "How we know all that about New College, I'm not 100 percent sure," one wonders why the Herald-Tribune devoted so much space to the idle musings of a pothead.

Having worked closely with hundreds of New College students over the past 15 years, I am 100 percent sure that a small minority of them struggle with substance abuse, quite a few occasionally use intoxicants at parties, and a sizable number completely avoid intoxicants, including alcohol. In other words, New College students are much the same as students at other academically demanding schools. You owe them an apology for smearing their reputation with this silly piece of yellow journalism.

John R. Newman

Professor

New College of Florida

Sarasota

__________________
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

Buzzby

Some people have no sense of humor! Dr. Newman just doesn't get it.


Exactly how does that belie the contents of the original article in High Times or the one in the Herald-Tribune? Dr. Newman misses the point that students can smoke marijuana and still do well in school.

This letter to the editor refers to this article, which appeared in the Marijuana.com news on Friday, September 2nd.

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BC.Buddy

Perhaps he doesn't want to 'tattle' on whichever people did the research on-site? Perhaps he just doesn't know, and it's just a list for fun?

Why not? A pothead's opinion is not as worthy of media coverage as another's? Quite a blatantly ignorant thing to say for a College professor. Oh, wait, that's another generalization. Geez, there not all that good, are they?

So, a prof knows the campus' drug habits? I'm sure.

One thing he doesn't mention here though, is recreational drug use. He only mentions substance abuse. Does he think everyone that uses marijuana is a noticable dope fiend? I bet at least half of his most trusted collegues uses marijuana! Arrogant moron.

No apology is needed for any journalism that doesn't harm anyone. This piece doesn't harm anyone. The only thing smearing any reputations is your rude reply!

Yeah, I'm still trying to hook up wit one as well! Just for you Buzzby. Or, perhaps a sense of humour can be different than someone else's?

I agree though, this guy needs to stop *****ing about something so relatively harmless and get a hobby!

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BC Marijuana Party
"Overgrow The Government"
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