“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett
It has been the weirdest month.
On Saturday, March 10, I stepped in as editor in chief. Roughly one month later, I’m writing this editorial in
the wake of the great Distorter fiasco and amidst a serious retraction.
Throughout both ordeals, I’ve heard multiple faculty members and administrators describe each situation
as, “a learning experience.” At first, it struck me as an odd, distant statement — the sort of buzzword you
might hear a publicist use. However, I think it really sums up another key point:
Mistakes are one of the
greatest sources of knowledge available to man.
It comes from this: At its core, RIT is a business. It delivers a product — knowledge — to paying customers.
RIT’s Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide admits RIT is not in loco parentis; as a student, you
are accountable for your own actions. And while this is probably more for legal reasons, it’s as good an
educational experience as ever.
As much as much as your parents may protest, learning isn’t restrained to your classes. While I’ve learned
greatly in many of my classes. I’ve also grown as a person by getting lost downtown or participating in late
night clarinet-fueled jam sessions.
I won’t deny it — it feels terrible to watch a close friend leave staff because of something you could have
prevented. Firing someone isn’t easy, either. And unfortunately, I lack the power to defy sleep, regardless of
how much work I have due.
I’m not recommending you to go off the deep end or do something drastic. It’s important to develop
maintain you own strong ethical code. Instead, I’m encouraging you, the reader, to take at least one risk.
Break out of the norm, just for a day.
