Editor’s Note: In the last issue of The Scribe, there was a mistake in publishing the US News regarding the Presidential Elections. It was attributed to Obakeng Phiri, when in fact it was written by Lauren Stupek. I personally apologize for the oversight.To the Editor:
I want to comment on, and correct, Justin Fong’s interview with me.
First, the entire article is Justin’s; we spoke together, he took some notes, and he wrote the article. I do not speak as he writes. We spoke together at greater length than publication space allowed for, so the selection of topics, the edited responses, and the transitions from topic to topic, are his.
Second, some of my comments were incorrectly translated. I said that I keep learning about teaching the kids here at UB; I do not consider UB students to be children. Stan, not Dan, Schenkerman was my mentor. The Business School Club does indeed provide the background work for the Levine Lecture Series, which we call “CEO Night,” but that’s not the club’s purpose or its only function. And even though the Red Sox wear red socks, I suspect that most of you know that it was not brightly colored footwear that beat the Yankees!
Most importantly, the second-to-last question is an egregious misprint. What I like most about UB, is the students. What I dislike most about UB was never a topic in our discussion. Because getting this right is so important, here is what I said.
[What do (you) like about UB?] I genuinely like most of the students. 90% of the kids here are really terrific. There are a few students, though, who are cheating themselves by trying to sneak through some prerequisite courses, or by refusing to learn English, or by continuing to behave in college as they did in high school. When I encounter such students, the “father” in me comes out, because of my affection for the kids and my concern for their futures.The last question, “[How does extra curricular effect your business life?]” and what is purported to be my response, is almost random. What I actually said was that extracurricular activities in college are very important. When a new graduate looks for a job, he will discover that everyone went to college, everyone got decent grades, and that a degree, while necessary, alone is not sufficient to distinguish a new grad from all the other new grads. The more experiences a person has in school, and the richer their total education is, the more attractive they will be in the marketplace. (And, I should have added, as a human being.)
I’m aware that writing for a school newspaper is time-consuming, that coursework must still be done, and that deadlines are inflexible. I admire Justin for his willingness to take on such a demanding extracurricular activity. Still, I strongly urge the Scribe to do a better job of proofreading. You’re training to be professionals, right? The difference between professionals and amateurs is not that professionals don’t make mistakes, but that professionals’ mistakes wind up in the wastebasket rather than in print.
Robert Todd
School of Business