EDITORIAL: Just the Facts

Setting Commission onSetting Commission onStrengthening the CommunitySetting Commission onStrengthening the Communitymember Joanna Paul straightSetting Commission onStrengthening the Communitymember Joanna Paul straighton our relationship with theSetting Commission onStrengthening the Communitymember Joanna Paul straighton our relationship with theUniversity.Setting Commission onStrengthening the Communitymember Joanna Paul straighton our relationship with theUniversity.______________________________ Presumably, Interim President Claire Fagin and Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson decided to revive the old time town meeting in order to accomplish these same goals. Unfortunately, participants in the town meeting and those who watched it on UTV were severely misled by one speaker at the meeting held Wednesday. College junior Joanna Paul, who is also a member of the Commission on Strengthening the Community, stated that the University should hire an outside consultant, like herself, to help "sensitize" the Daily Pennsylvanian and its "predominantly majoritary culture to issues they're presently not aware of." She continued that: "considering the DP , I thought I heard, has a $50,000 debt to the University and considering that it is a major force on this campus, and I am sure they would welcome some assistance in, sort of, you know, helping sensitize them." Well Paul, you are not even sort of wrong. You're completely wrong. First, even if we owed the University our first-born, we would never and will never accept any outside supervision of this newspaper. If students want to help "sensitize" us, they can join us. Secondly, the DP has not owed the University any money for over eight years. When the DP was incorporated in 1984, as part of the contract with the University, it assumed all the assets and liabilities of the unincorporated DP. This included a $50,000 loan made to us by the University in 1980. On June 24, 1985, the DP mailed its final payment check to the Treasurer's office, thus ending our indebtness to the University. We owe the University not one red cent, unlike Paul, who we feel owes the University at least an explanation. Where did she get such erroneous information? Is this lie being taken for fact by the Commission and other policy makers? When asked these questions last night, Paul refused to answer them. After calling for an outside person to apparently keep us more accountable to the non- "predominantly majoritary culture," we ask that Paul be held accountable to her own standard. She is a member of an increasingly powerful committee who will be deciding, among other issues, the future of free speech on this campus. We believe that her Wednesday night mistatements demonstrate a clear bias against a free press. In addition, her use of mistruths to further this agenda is equally damning. If the Commission wants to keep a semblance of impartiality and integrity, it should immediately remove Paul from its membership. We respect anyone's opinion on any subject including how to run this newspaper. In fact, we have on many occasions printed letters (one by Paul herself) to this effect. But, perverting the truth must not be tolerated, especially when you are looked to for guidance and leadership.