With its pivotal, news-breaking coverage of the Northwestern football hazing scandal, The Daily Northwestern serves notice of journalism's crucial, vibrant role in society.
Well I discovered - and confirmed by NU alumni associations - that having done four years of post graduate medical training at NU makes me an NU alumni as well. So here is my two cents:
1. The Daily Northwestern was wrong then - and now - in their jello like apology over the Sessions issue. Sorry, being young and under fire is NO excuse. A lot of folks their age have literally been under fire. Others their age have literally participated in life and death events ... in hospitals ... and in other training in health care. That's how you harden steel and that's is often how you harden young people who seek challenging professions. You can't be a wimp in journalism, or medicine, or law enforcement or EMT. So I don't buy that BS about putting yourself in their shoes. Many of us at thier age have had to confront difficult and trying situations. A lesson from former President Truman: "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." No excuses, Matt.
2. The Daily Northwestern has done a great job on exposing the underbelly in NU athletics ... what apparently was hidden from the student body and public in general. Of course the more plausible possibility no one in the upper echelons at NU wanted to know about these inconvenient events. I also wonder if any of this would have arisen if the NU football team was winning games rather than losing at an alarming clip over the past few years. However, I would caution you and all others involved in the present feeding frenzy that what we have here are accusations; nothing more. Although Coach Fitz being an employee of a private institution may not legally be subject to "due process" and "presumed innocence", in my view "due process" and "presumed innocence" are or should be cultural touchstones of our country regardless of whether the employee is under contract in a private or public institution. I would suggest you recall the Duke feeding frenzy of some years ago. How'd that work out?
3. If all the accusations prove true, I think NU should seriously inquire if joining the Ivy League is possible. If not, then they should follow in the footsteps of the UofC. It really is time to truly become a first rate academic university - which means saying goodby to D1 - and stop pretending otherwise.
I agree that they whiffed on the Sessions coverage apology---as I wrote, it's not the media's job to make people feel safe, it's to report newsworthy events.
However, I realize that when I later noted the social media element that wasn't present for almost my entire career, it could have come across as excusing their apology. I should be clearer: I was more explaining it than anything else.
Also, by supporting the paper financially (and in other small ways, such as writing notes when I see a good job on a story, etc.), I want to build on what's going well and not dismiss a young journalist outright for making a youthful mistake. College publications are a great opportunity to learn and grow, and that comes by taking action and having your words available for public scrutiny. It's a daunting thing for many, and Dean Whitaker's exhortation was a significant influence on me to step out of my 50+ year-old shoes and into those of a 19- or 20-year-old just starting out.
I agree. My issue is the constant drum beat for "safety." Don't you think there is something wrong if young folks don't feel safe when exposed to contrary ideas ... ideas of which they do not agree? Isn't that the job of a university to expose young folks to a multiplicity of ideas ... agreeable or not? In my view if you want to "feel safe" (i.e. avoid disturbing or controversial ideas) a university is the last place you should be.
I’m a fellow Northwestern alum who is very disappointed in Coach Fitzgerald, his assistants and the players themselves. And I think president Michael Schill acted properly in dismissing the head coach (though I think the assistants should have been terminated as well, because they also had to know about the hazing all along).
But what I don’t understand is why there hasn’t been a similar current investigation of any other college football program. It seems clear to me that if NU, a small private school that emphasizes academics, has had football hazing, then many other schools — especially the “football factories” — have had this as well for a long time. In fact, it’s apparent to me that this is an outgrowth of the “fraternity hazing“ we’ve seen over the years.
This is not to excuse NU, but rather to point out that this has no doubt been going on on many other campuses and that we’re not alone!
And yet I haven’t seen anything re other schools being investigated by their presidents, school newspapers or local/national newspapers, magazines or TV. Those investigations should start immediately!
I've never actually been around anyone who righteously attacked the press for being Enemy of the People, but what an embarrassment. 1984 was a dystopia, not a utopia!
I note that you are very close in age to Mike Greenberg, who also went to Medill at the time. Although I guess he started out in news, not sports.
Who do YOU know that is able to interview former football players, coaches and assistants at other colleges & universities — especially the “football factories” — to find out which of these schools has also had “football hazing” for many years?
Well I discovered - and confirmed by NU alumni associations - that having done four years of post graduate medical training at NU makes me an NU alumni as well. So here is my two cents:
1. The Daily Northwestern was wrong then - and now - in their jello like apology over the Sessions issue. Sorry, being young and under fire is NO excuse. A lot of folks their age have literally been under fire. Others their age have literally participated in life and death events ... in hospitals ... and in other training in health care. That's how you harden steel and that's is often how you harden young people who seek challenging professions. You can't be a wimp in journalism, or medicine, or law enforcement or EMT. So I don't buy that BS about putting yourself in their shoes. Many of us at thier age have had to confront difficult and trying situations. A lesson from former President Truman: "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." No excuses, Matt.
2. The Daily Northwestern has done a great job on exposing the underbelly in NU athletics ... what apparently was hidden from the student body and public in general. Of course the more plausible possibility no one in the upper echelons at NU wanted to know about these inconvenient events. I also wonder if any of this would have arisen if the NU football team was winning games rather than losing at an alarming clip over the past few years. However, I would caution you and all others involved in the present feeding frenzy that what we have here are accusations; nothing more. Although Coach Fitz being an employee of a private institution may not legally be subject to "due process" and "presumed innocence", in my view "due process" and "presumed innocence" are or should be cultural touchstones of our country regardless of whether the employee is under contract in a private or public institution. I would suggest you recall the Duke feeding frenzy of some years ago. How'd that work out?
3. If all the accusations prove true, I think NU should seriously inquire if joining the Ivy League is possible. If not, then they should follow in the footsteps of the UofC. It really is time to truly become a first rate academic university - which means saying goodby to D1 - and stop pretending otherwise.
Thank you for your comments, Bruce.
I agree that they whiffed on the Sessions coverage apology---as I wrote, it's not the media's job to make people feel safe, it's to report newsworthy events.
However, I realize that when I later noted the social media element that wasn't present for almost my entire career, it could have come across as excusing their apology. I should be clearer: I was more explaining it than anything else.
Also, by supporting the paper financially (and in other small ways, such as writing notes when I see a good job on a story, etc.), I want to build on what's going well and not dismiss a young journalist outright for making a youthful mistake. College publications are a great opportunity to learn and grow, and that comes by taking action and having your words available for public scrutiny. It's a daunting thing for many, and Dean Whitaker's exhortation was a significant influence on me to step out of my 50+ year-old shoes and into those of a 19- or 20-year-old just starting out.
I agree. My issue is the constant drum beat for "safety." Don't you think there is something wrong if young folks don't feel safe when exposed to contrary ideas ... ideas of which they do not agree? Isn't that the job of a university to expose young folks to a multiplicity of ideas ... agreeable or not? In my view if you want to "feel safe" (i.e. avoid disturbing or controversial ideas) a university is the last place you should be.
I’m a fellow Northwestern alum who is very disappointed in Coach Fitzgerald, his assistants and the players themselves. And I think president Michael Schill acted properly in dismissing the head coach (though I think the assistants should have been terminated as well, because they also had to know about the hazing all along).
But what I don’t understand is why there hasn’t been a similar current investigation of any other college football program. It seems clear to me that if NU, a small private school that emphasizes academics, has had football hazing, then many other schools — especially the “football factories” — have had this as well for a long time. In fact, it’s apparent to me that this is an outgrowth of the “fraternity hazing“ we’ve seen over the years.
This is not to excuse NU, but rather to point out that this has no doubt been going on on many other campuses and that we’re not alone!
And yet I haven’t seen anything re other schools being investigated by their presidents, school newspapers or local/national newspapers, magazines or TV. Those investigations should start immediately!
Mike Allen
mallensandiego@aol.com
I've never actually been around anyone who righteously attacked the press for being Enemy of the People, but what an embarrassment. 1984 was a dystopia, not a utopia!
I note that you are very close in age to Mike Greenberg, who also went to Medill at the time. Although I guess he started out in news, not sports.
Who do YOU know that is able to interview former football players, coaches and assistants at other colleges & universities — especially the “football factories” — to find out which of these schools has also had “football hazing” for many years?