On behalf of a group of disappointed students, we would like to voice some criticism of the recent cover story about Chick-fil-A’s reopening.

While the article does provide a good summary of last year’s Chick-fil-A controversy, it fails to address the full and current range of opinions on Elon’s campus.

The problem with this coverage is that all of the students who voiced opposition to Chick-fil-A that were represented in the article graduated last year, while a number of the students who voiced support in the article were current students. Though Emily Kane and Lauren Clapp were both heavily involved in this issue while they were here, their words do not necessarily represent the voices of current students.

The coverage also failed to include any negative reaction to the decision. The article only mentioned the opposition in relation to last year’s resolution drafted by Spectrum and submitted to the SGA, with no mention of the opposition in relation to the Vendor Policy Study Committee or the Board of Trustees. Reactions from supporters however, were represented from both current and former Elon students.

The problem with this type of coverage is that it makes it seem like the Chick-fil-A debate is over. It makes it seem like people just don’t care anymore. It makes it seem like Chick-fil-A’s reopening is not hurting anyone on this campus.

But this is false.

Whether or not The Pendulum acknowledges them, there are still students on this campus with wounds from last year’s Chick-fil-A conflict, wounds that are reopening right along with Chick-fil-A. There are still students who fear that, once again, the chicken sandwich and waffle fries will be hijacked as symbols of discrimination. There are still students on this campus who feel like they were—and still are—being ignored and marginalized by their fellow students, the administration and now, apparently, The Pendulum.

Journalism is about fair and accurate coverage, and we understand that The Pendulum should not reflect only the opinions of a single group of students. However, by ignoring the perspectives of the affected students still on this campus, The Pendulum failed to report the truth about what the reopening of Chick-fil-A means for Elon.

 

Respectfully,

Elon SLIC Alliance

Elon Student-Led Inclusive Community Alliance