'Spoils system' editorial used quote out of context

TO THE EDITOR:

I fully agree with the editorial board's assertion (Beware the spoils system" Feb. 24) that Student Body President-elect Jasmin Jones' picks for her administration should be based solely on merit.

Unfortunately, the editorial board couldn't support this fairly obvious and straightforward point without taking quotes out of context to intentionally create false implications regarding the former candidates' intentions.

In this editorial, the board assumed that some former candidates seem to be angling for a title."" Immediately afterwards" as if giving an example" the board used a quote from me (as a representative of Michael Betts) from a platform session with Jones and the other candidates saying that Jones is ""extremely open to incorporating other people's ideas.""

With that juxtaposition" the board took my quote out of context to support a position that I never stated or even implied. My quote was about ideas not positions. This sort of reckless extrapolation is unprofessional unethical and just bad journalism.

Had any members of the editorial board attended this meeting they would have known we weren't hatching strategies to get ourselves positions but rather discussing ways to see ideas carried to fruition in a new administration.

Such a blatant display of unprofessionalism detracts from the things Jones will be able to achieve with this spirit of collaboration.



Jonathan Tugman

Senior Adviser

Michael Betts for Student Body President