To the Editor:
Being away from the College this spring, I thought I might be able to stay above the fray and, for once, not become involved in College politics. Alas, Won Joon Choe '97's "The Truth of the Matter at The Review" (April 11) begs for contextual and factual clarification. I have known Choe since his arrival at Dartmouth and I take some pride in the fact that I have helped to develop the skills of a writer so obviously talented.
However, writing style can only take one so far if the facts fly in the face of the opinion written. For the record, anyone who knows him can affirm that Choe is prone to conspiracy theories and reasoning backwards. He starts out with his conclusion and then brilliantly concocts a theoretical scenario that is irrefutable because a negative cannot logically be disproven.
In this case, Choe, an avid supporter of Dan Garcia '95, was miffed that Garcia had resigned and quickly came up with his story. As for me, I had voted for Garcia, was disappointed when he decided to resign, but quickly did everything in my power to help Andrew Gold '95, the new editor.
Last week, Choe quit the paper and began spreading rumors of a power struggle within The Review. Of course, nobody corroborated Choe's conspiracy theory because it simply is not true.
This is not to say that there are not elements of his column that are true. As in almost every year, certain people would have preferred Garcia to be editor, while others would have preferred Gold. In fact, Choe himself was one of Garcia's most outspoken supporters. So certainly there was some competition, perhaps even some tension. But to claim, as Choe does, that Garcia and Gold are so diametrically opposed in their views toward The Review is a statement that approaches the absurd.
A few more words about Choe and his column. He is a very talented individual, yet some say he lacks tact and common sense. His statement at the first staff meeting of fall term publicly declaring his sexism and homophobia speaks volumes about his tact. To me, the fact that he would turn tail, quit The Review and run to another newspaper speaks even more about his courage and common sense.
I can tell Choe from first-hand experience that it is impossible to comprehend the actual time commitment of being Editor-in-Chief of The Review without actually experiencing it. Which brings us to another point about Choe. In terms of tension, factionalization and competition within The Review, there was no greater proponent than he.
He would speak openly in the office about who was his competition to be Editor-in-Chief three years hence. If one of his "competitors" were assigned to an article, he did everything in his power to be assigned, if not to the same article, then to one of similar "importance." While I appreciated his efforts during my tenure as editor, his almost-maniacal competitiveness was an obviously negative factor in the office.
I spoke to Choe last week and told him he had a choice if he did not like the direction he thought Gold was taking the paper. He could either stand pat, fight for what he believes in and try to influence the paper in a positive manner, or he could give up and quit the paper. It is unfortunate that he chose the latter.
The current editors of The Review took his going outside The Review as his resignation. Personally, I expected more from Choe.
ORON STRAUSS '95
