Former Publisher Looks Back
Marc Bathgate
Last Updated: 12/19/06 Section: Letters to the Editor
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Student publications come and go, but with hardly any institutional support in Claremont (only the occasional "club" funding by student governments) the Claremont Independent has made it an entire decade and continues to set the standard for in-depth journalism at the Claremont Colleges. This feat alone is impressive.
The CI has informed not only students, but faculty as well. I recall multiple times when a dean would mention to a fellow editor or me something about an article in the Independent. The CI also kept administration in Claremont honest by bringing policy decisions out of closed-door sessions and into the sunlight. This was especially true at CMC as policies like the Irvine grant, campus expansion, and changes in the tenure review and hiring policies of the college all underwent vigorous debate amongst faculty and administrators. The CI brought this debate to the students as well, and informed faculty who were not on particular committees.
Perhaps one of the most important things I remember that the CI did was never printed in its pages. As ASCMC president during the Dunn hate crime incident, it was brought to my attention by the CI publisher and editor that there was significant evidence pointing to the fact that Dunn may have committed the act herself - and this was before anyone knew that two witnesses from off-campus had seen the professor drive into the lot with her car pre-painted. They subsequently watched as she got out of the car and slashed her own tires with a razor blade. This important information was turned over to the FBI, Claremont Police, and President Gann and was instrumental in some of the events that went on the day after the "crime" and in the weeks that followed as the hoax was exposed.
So congratulations to the CI on a decade! Keep the sunlight flooding into those darkened places, and keep people honest - right and left. Maintaining honesty amongst leadership is the most important thing that any publication can do.
The CI has informed not only students, but faculty as well. I recall multiple times when a dean would mention to a fellow editor or me something about an article in the Independent. The CI also kept administration in Claremont honest by bringing policy decisions out of closed-door sessions and into the sunlight. This was especially true at CMC as policies like the Irvine grant, campus expansion, and changes in the tenure review and hiring policies of the college all underwent vigorous debate amongst faculty and administrators. The CI brought this debate to the students as well, and informed faculty who were not on particular committees.
Perhaps one of the most important things I remember that the CI did was never printed in its pages. As ASCMC president during the Dunn hate crime incident, it was brought to my attention by the CI publisher and editor that there was significant evidence pointing to the fact that Dunn may have committed the act herself - and this was before anyone knew that two witnesses from off-campus had seen the professor drive into the lot with her car pre-painted. They subsequently watched as she got out of the car and slashed her own tires with a razor blade. This important information was turned over to the FBI, Claremont Police, and President Gann and was instrumental in some of the events that went on the day after the "crime" and in the weeks that followed as the hoax was exposed.
So congratulations to the CI on a decade! Keep the sunlight flooding into those darkened places, and keep people honest - right and left. Maintaining honesty amongst leadership is the most important thing that any publication can do.
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