The Great Lockout of 2007: The Wharton Journal weighs in on being shut out
Editorial
Issue date: 2/12/07 Section: News
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The newly minted Wharton Journal team returned from winter break this year to an unpleasant surprise: the locks to the Journal office - a third floor room in Huntsman Hall shared with the Wharton Yearbook - had been changed per order of the WGA executive council. The Journal team remained locked out of its office (and access to its equipment) until the editors submitted an acceptable charter draft to the WGA. This incident was the culmination of a dispute between the outgoing editors and the WGA over the Journal charter and the limits of editorial freedom and the role of the Journal in MBA student life.
Over the last year, the Wharton Journal has landed itself in hot water on various occasions, from students threatening to sue over the use of the term "Euro-trash" to more serious accusations of insensitivity to student concerns and complaints. The WGA sought to reduce and preempt future disputes by the introduction and formalization of a Wharton Journal Charter. The previous editorial team resisted this change due to concerns about maintaining journalistic independence. Despite having inherited this dispute, the new Journal team agrees it is important that Wharton MBA students have a forum in which to share news, views and humor unfettered by outside intervention and that a charter can be the first step down a slippery slope to a Journal castrated by censorship. In fairness, we recognize the outgoing editors were not totally effective in communicating their point of view to the WGA, contributing to the deteriorating relationship between the organizations. At the same time, the WGA's decision to change the locks to our office was at best a bureaucratic temper tantrum and at worst an abuse of the power and trust invested in them by the student body.
The truth is there is much room for improvement at the Journal (thank you to the Follies for pointing this out last week) and we are eager to become a more relevant and interesting publication. However, now that the WGA has proved it is capable and willing to go to extreme measures to control student-run organizations, we are deeply disappointed and concerned that a troubling precedent has been set. What will happen if we disagree again in the future? Another lockout? Or a public auction of the computers and equipment we purchased through our independent revenue (and there are no budget scandals here)? What will happen to other clubs who find themselves in disagreement with the WGA? At a time when Wharton students are losing autonomy (so much for student-run pub) the WGA team that ran under the ironic slogan "Empower Wharton" has contributed to the hamstringing of the MBA extra-curricular experience.
The new Journal team is excited about the opportunity to rebuild a solid and trusting relationship with the WGA. With election season upon us, we are hopeful that One Wharton and Wharton Forward, the two slates running for the WGA leadership for 2007-2008 will take a more productive approach to the resolution of conflicts amongst students. As always, the Journal welcomes the feedback and opinions of the Wharton community and we are looking forward to a year filled with growth and opportunity.
Over the last year, the Wharton Journal has landed itself in hot water on various occasions, from students threatening to sue over the use of the term "Euro-trash" to more serious accusations of insensitivity to student concerns and complaints. The WGA sought to reduce and preempt future disputes by the introduction and formalization of a Wharton Journal Charter. The previous editorial team resisted this change due to concerns about maintaining journalistic independence. Despite having inherited this dispute, the new Journal team agrees it is important that Wharton MBA students have a forum in which to share news, views and humor unfettered by outside intervention and that a charter can be the first step down a slippery slope to a Journal castrated by censorship. In fairness, we recognize the outgoing editors were not totally effective in communicating their point of view to the WGA, contributing to the deteriorating relationship between the organizations. At the same time, the WGA's decision to change the locks to our office was at best a bureaucratic temper tantrum and at worst an abuse of the power and trust invested in them by the student body.
The truth is there is much room for improvement at the Journal (thank you to the Follies for pointing this out last week) and we are eager to become a more relevant and interesting publication. However, now that the WGA has proved it is capable and willing to go to extreme measures to control student-run organizations, we are deeply disappointed and concerned that a troubling precedent has been set. What will happen if we disagree again in the future? Another lockout? Or a public auction of the computers and equipment we purchased through our independent revenue (and there are no budget scandals here)? What will happen to other clubs who find themselves in disagreement with the WGA? At a time when Wharton students are losing autonomy (so much for student-run pub) the WGA team that ran under the ironic slogan "Empower Wharton" has contributed to the hamstringing of the MBA extra-curricular experience.
The new Journal team is excited about the opportunity to rebuild a solid and trusting relationship with the WGA. With election season upon us, we are hopeful that One Wharton and Wharton Forward, the two slates running for the WGA leadership for 2007-2008 will take a more productive approach to the resolution of conflicts amongst students. As always, the Journal welcomes the feedback and opinions of the Wharton community and we are looking forward to a year filled with growth and opportunity.
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