Sophomore admits to making ‘sophomoric mistake’
Chelsea Diana
Chelsea Diana, who was forced to resign as Boston University Daily Free Press editor over a “tasteless” April Fools’ edition, says “for one second I considered changing my major” and hide from critics who demanded she leave journalism forever. But that one second passed and she decided to stick with it.
I acknowledge the decision to print the issue was callous and, as my journalism professor told me, “pretty sophomoric.”
But, guess what? I’m a sophomore.
College is the time to learn and make mistakes before we enter the workforce, and from this horrible situation I’m gaining experience that most student journalists cannot put on a resume. As for my future, it’s in journalism and I will not succumb to those calling for me to give up for a mistake I made as a 19-year-old.
* A “sophomoric” mistake — made by a sophomore
I see real potential here. A Molly Ivins in the making. I like her style.
Good for you, Chelsea!
If we were all held back for making a sophomore mistake or two, we’d still be sophomores.
Ms. Diana, don’t let them get you down. Mistakes are great learning opportunities . . . and we’ve all made them. Good luck with you career.
“There’s nothing wrong with failure. Everybody does it.” — Robyn Hitchcock
The student editor’s mistake was taking freedom of expression to the limits of what the community would value. The community’s mistake was going too far in trying to suppress offensive expression.
The current culture in journalism of firings and forced resignations for single incidents is most troubling — journalists as a whole should become slower to judge and faster to forgive.
She should change her major but not because she made this, er, indiscretion. Journalism should not be a college major as there is no significant underlying body of knowledge worthy of an academic license. She will have no hope of gainful employment pursuing that degree. Major in a science or mathematics. If you got to do something writing-y, consider history, foreign language, business — anything but journalism! A true waste of time.
This is where the Internet’s everything-is-instantly-a-global-issue zeitgeist turns cannibalistic. So while I didn’t get a chance to read the BU paper’s April Fools edition, I think Chelsea is exactly right here. She’s a 19-year-old kid working at a school newspaper. If that’s not the time to do stupid stuff than when is that time?
When I was exactly her age I said something so stupid on Macalester College’s WMCN radio I got the first-ever lifetime ban from their airwaves. I think they overreacted, but who cares? I never did anything like that again, and have worked in journalism for my entire adult life.
Chelsea’s right on schedule. If she’s foolish enough to leap into our dying racket I bet we’ll be lucky to have her.
Making a very public mistake and sucking up the backlash will likely make her even more cautious about such things in the future. Keep it up!