You gotta be kidding me!

[BabbForHeisman]

Last week, as most of you know, the Vermilion published an article with some disturbingly wrong information about the basketball team. I responded with this letter to the editor, which was in this weeks version:

Dear Editor:

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon this season while reading about the UL men’s basketball team in the Vermilion.

First there was the headline “Owls Win First Meeting of 04-05.” That’s an awfully strange headline considering that the Cajuns won the game.

Later came the headline “Cajuns top Hilltoppers 54-44 on road.” Strange again, because the Cajuns did beat the Hilltoppers, but it was at home and that wasn’t the score. The Cajuns actually beat the Blue Raiders 54-44, but that too was at home.

Fast forward to this past week, where the headline read “Cajun men continue battle for winning season.” The first paragraph then claimed that the Cajuns were currently 12-13, with a 7-5 conference record. Reality indicates that at press time, the Cajuns were actually 15-8, with a 9-2 conference record. On top of that, with only four regular season games left, they were already guaranteed a winning season.

Listen, I know writing a newspaper is hard and all, but if you have enough time to add in “-Lafayette” every time someone says “Louisiana” or “UL,” then you should at least try to get most of your headlines/major statements correct.

-Chris Ledet



This weeks edition also included an editorial from Janmel Beckham saying that she apologizes for the mistake. Apparently, she didn't write her own headline, and she inadvertently copied UNO's record down on the paper.

Now look at the headline of the basketball article this week: "Cajuns extend home winning streak to 12 games" followed by the first sentence, "The University of Louisiana at Lafayette men’s basketball team extended its home winning streak to 12, sending both New Mexico State and North Texas home with a loss." And unless I missed 5 games, I think our home winning streak is at 7.

Now, you'd think that since every letter to the editor this week, including mine, dealt with the inability of the sports department to print the facts correctly, they might have checked this one over before it went to print.

Apparently not...

[Pup]

This proves they can print whatever the ~~~~ they want.

[studentfan]

They can print what they want, doesn't mean I have to even read it or believe what I read.

[UL_Cajuns]

Exactly, how can they not get the facts straight, but they still print Lafayette on the end of every UL or Louisiana.

This is false information.

[Clutch0364]

In todays issue a statement was put out for the mistake (if you want to call it that) in the last isue.I guess mistakes happen but the quility of the paper is for from what it should be.

[DaddyCajun]

At one time friends of mine and myself were considering requesting having the Verm mailed each week to our homes, some of them in other states for a fee of course. Thought the monies would help the Verm to bring additional monies that were not ad driven. However with this type of poor editing and lack of caring about the mission of UL/Louisiana grads/Alumni in reference to the Name Change, We have at this time decided it better not to request the papers be sent to our homes!!

DaddyCajun

ps Hope the editor in chief decides to do a better job and is MORE friendly(willing to use UL or Louisiana)in the near future!! I feel sure I am correct in saying that the Verm is seperate from the University like is the Advertiser and by Law is NOT required to use UL-Lafayette in what it prints!!

[Geaux clotille]

We all used to love The Verm, what's the deal? Has it been this bad for a long time?

[studentfan]

Yep, it has gone downhill since I've been in school.

[cjr3888]

After reading this post the other day I didnt even bother going out of my way to pick one up like I usually do.

[lcitsh]

And these people are future journalists? How do they expect to get jobs after they graduate? Oh, that's right, most mainstream journalists don't do their own research now anyway, they'll fit right in. How pitiful.

[RaginEsquire06]

It's a sad day in Journalism....maybe they should team up with the daily advertiser. The vermilion prints fantasy while the advertiser prints NOTHING!

[RaisingCajun08]

They will be future writers for the Sadvertiser.