This blog is designed to give readers a glimpse of our editorial-page operation and how we make our decisions. We’ll let you know who we’re meeting with, what they’re telling us, what events and issues we’re looking at. We’ll also pass on information and observations that may not make our print editions. In addition to the editorial board members who post on this blog, the board includes Publisher David Zeeck, Executive Editor Karen Peterson and Managing Editor Dale Phelps.
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Editorial page editor Patrick O’Callahan oversees the online and printed opinion sections of The News Tribune. He came to The News Tribune in 1987 and has worked at Washington newspapers since 1979. E-mail him at patrick.ocallahan@thenewstribune.com
Editorial writer Cheryl Tucker, in addition to writing commentary, manages the daily production of the editorial and op-ed pages and edits letters to the editor. She began her journalism career in 1974 at a Virginia newspaper and came to The News Tribune in 1978. E-mail her at cheryl.tucker@thenewstribune.com.
Editorial writer Kim Bradford manages the online opinion section of The News Tribune and writes commentary. She joined The News Tribune in 2005 after working 11 years at newspapers in Washington and Maryland. E-mail her at kim.bradford@thenewstribune.com.
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Editor emeritus David Seago retired from The News Tribune in 2008 after 41 years at The News Tribune. E-mail him at sds99@harbornet.com.
Richard Davis’ column on state politics frequently runs in the print edition of The News Tribune. He was president of the Washington Research Council, a statewide think tank, from 1986 through 2006. Currently, as a principal with The Simeon Partnership, Inc. he coordinates the activities of the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy, a business coalition founded by the Research Council, the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Roundtable.
Karen Irwin of University Place, a mother of four, has been a frequent contributor to The News Tribune's print editions. She has also written for Seattle's Child, Puget Sound Parent, the Tacoma Weekly, the Fayetteville Observer Times and the political blog Right Meets Left. She graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in English literature and is currently working toward a history degree.
Michael Allen, professor of history at the University of Washington Tacoma, was born and raised in Ellensburg. He served with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam from 1969-70. He has written five books, including the prize-winning "Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus' Great Discovery to the War on Terror," "Rodeo Cowboys in the North American Imagination" and "Western Rivermen, 1763-1861: Ohio and Mississippi Boatmen and the Myth of the Alligator Horse." Allen lives in Tacoma and Ellensburg and has three children.
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State Rep. Dave Upthegrove took exception with our editorial this morning calling his bill to prohibit the UW from giving special exceptions to athletes during enrollment cutbacks a "revenge of the nerds" moment.
Let the record reflect that Upthegrove himself was a student athlete. And that college film class in which he was forced to make do with outdated equipment? Just an elective.
He also took issue with our description of his bill. He's concerned that we made it sound like his legislation would apply retroactively to the students granted admission to UW's spring quarter. It would not. We were using this year’s students as a case study for what might be the consequences of such a bill.
On 1/30/09 1:15 AM, "Upthegrove, Rep. Dave" wrote:
Hi Kim,
I appreciate your interest in my legislation, and am excited to see a public debate.
I know your editorial has been published, so my communication is too late, but I wanted to let you know a couple quick things about me and my motivations for the legislation. I was a two-sport varsity letterman in High School and still play in an organized weekly basketball league, and am a sports fan. I took a film class in school to fulfill some elective requirement, and used video equipment as one of several examples when pressed by the Seattle Times reporter.
I believe passionately in the value of athletics to our education system. I feel I have benefited greatly from my involvement in sports and wish more young people participated in athletics. Students who participate in athletics develop better teamwork and leadership skills and they, generally, perform better academically. I value athletics and student athletes. However, I also value all other students. I think all students should have the ability to compete equally for admission, regardless of whether or not they are athletes, or whether or not they are biologists, or whether or not they are in a teen running start program. I have pasted (below) an email from the family of the kind of students that I also wish had the chance to simply compete for the limited openings.
As for the bill:
The bill takes effect on July 1st and does not impact the Spring 2009 enrollment. So, none of the 7 athletes, or those other cohorts (teens, engineering students, etc.) would be impacted. It simply says that in the future, when there is an enrollment freeze, exemptions may not be made for categories of students, unless tied to high demand economic needs.
I just wanted to share a little bit with you about me and my motivations, and let you know that I think your description of the impact of the bill was factually incorrect.
Sincerely,
Dave Upthegrove
