Student Apologizes For Signs

To the Editors:

On Oct. 30 I was responsible for placing approximately 40 faux flyers around campus falsifying warning statements from President Nancy Dye and Attorney General John Ashcroft and false quotes from terrorists threatening “imminent” attacks against a student on campus. The fliers warned of an expected terrorist attack against this individual, urging students to be on “high alert” and disassociate from the aforementioned person for their safety and security.
This rash and crass act plagiarized the authority of the Office of the President, misused College property, falsified documents and created totally unnecessary trouble and unease to many people. While intended to be humorous, my actions have caused a great amount of confusion and anxiety on campus for which I am sincerely sorry. While intending to play a “prank” on my friend and make a light-hearted jest at his expense, I rashly exercised fabulously bad taste. I had hoped to create a joke that would lighten the tension on campus. However, my timing could not have been more poor in the wake of recent events here, and worldwide. The terrorist threats that have caused pain and disruption in the lives of so many people, are not the proper medium for humor at the expense of suffering here and abroad. It was not my intention to belittle, satirize or mock the pain of any individual or member of the administration.
Nonetheless, I have acted grossly insensitively and caused confusion and insult to many people in my shortsighted, irresponsible and self-absorbed attempt to play a joke upon my friend. I am terribly sorry for the anxiety and alarm I have caused to any students, faculty, staff and the general campus as a whole. In the future I must strive to act with better judgment and more sensitivity to the unintended repercussions and harm my actions can have upon others.
–Tanner Brooks
College senior

November 9
November 16

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