DISCLAIMER: This article was written by the roommate of Kaitlyn Myers, The Rocket’s assistant copy/web editor, who wrote “Sustainability: What, where and how.” This is a rebuttal to Kaitlyn’s sustainability article and should be read as satire.
Imagine the excitement I was feeling: It was the first print week of the semester, and my best friend just wrote a piece about a topic she was passionate about. She just hand-delivered you a paper.
But, imagine my surprise when I began reading this article, and it’s littered with lies. The smile and excitement left my body as I began reading faster, searching for the silver lining in this article that never came. I soon find myself sitting alone in my room, feeling lost about how we got to a situation where such lies and misrepresentation are being publicized in our newspaper, and by our editor, nonetheless. The editor who’s supposed to be fighting for the integrity and reputation of The Rocket.
The stride to achieve sustainability is an important one, but the need for honesty in our media is even more important. Yes, my dear friend is working on being more eco-conscious, but when I tell you there are always at least 75 lights on at any given time, it is not an overstatement. Even with every light on in the building, she is not able to see her leftovers rotting in our fridge. Very sustainable, if you ask me.
The most sustainable thing about my dear roommate is the fact that she doesn’t use a plate when she has her afternoon pretzels. Rather, she carries them around on the lid of the pretzel jar.
The name of her article was “Sustainability: What, where and how,” and I have to say, it is a great title because, throughout my reading experience, I was also wondering where she was taking part in these sustainable activities because it surely is not in our home.
The “how” that is raised throughout her opinion place is “How could she lie to us all?” and “What did we do to deserve such dishonesty from our editor?” But I think the biggest question that came out in this piece was what else is she lying to us about?
To lie in an opinion-based piece makes me wonder if she is lying about even bigger issues. Is her last name actually Myers or is it Meyers? Is she actually a licensed school bus driver, or did she just need a fun fact to use during ice breaker activities? Is she actually a professional writing major or just a professional liar?
I want to make it clear: This is not a petty dispute between roommates. I love my roommate dearly and would do anything for her, but we need to be able to trust our news sources.
The voice of our generation is already so often silenced by those who deem themselves more educated or better equipped to lead, and we cannot stand ideally by as this occurs in our newspaper. I think more strong female writers, such as Kaitlyn, deserve a platform to discuss issues that are important to them, but they should not have to lie to get a seat at the table.
