A number of you have voiced concerns about the piece, “The road to Guilford: a letter to the student body,” which we published in the May 2 issue of The Guilfordian. As the opinion editor of The Guilfordian, I would like to present an explanation and an apology.

A few weeks ago, a Guilfordian staff writer sent Oliva a list of personal questions for an email interview, which Jose answered in narrative form. The staff writer then labelled the answers to the interview as a letter to the student body. The interview “letter” got bounced to me, and it went through the wringer of edits, layout and publication.

However, over the course of the “letter’s” publication, I never checked with Jose in order to see whether or not he was okay with The Guilfordian publishing his own words.

This gross negligence — both in my ignorance of the circumstances producing the “letter,” as well as my failure to correspond with Jose — has led to what is honestly an embarrassing situation for both The Guilfordian and Jose Oliva.

And it’s my fault. Mine, and mine alone.

It’s truly a shame. In my time with The Guilfordian, I’ve tried to adhere to the utmost ethics of journalism. Perhaps it’s ironic that, in my final issue with The Guilfordian, I should blunder so poorly on the part of the organization I so highly value.

For that, I personally and sincerely apologize.

Also, I apologize to Jose Oliva.

As embarrassed as I am of myself and for The Guilfordian, I’m extremely embarrassed for Jose. We’ve naturally talked about this whole situation, and he seems worried that the “letter” made him seem self-absorbed.

I beg to differ; Jose is a very intelligent young man who cares immensely for the College.

Jose is also in a unique and unprecedented position. He’s both the first Latino and the first incoming sophomore elected to be Community Senate president.

His introduction to the Guilford community should not have been so inauspicious.

That, too, is my fault completely, and I sincerely apologize.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. My publication of Jose’s “letter” had only the best intentions in mind. However, my idle mind led to what amounts to public and personal embarrassment.

Again, I would like to personally and sincerely apologize to The Guilfordian and to Jose Oliva.

Anthony Harrison
Opinion Section Editor