On Friday The Dartmouth published this article -- an addendum of sorts to their usual, disappointing police blotter -- in which they named an undergraduate student arrested for credit card fraud. Since the blotter does not directly name students (while this article did), the piece has generated bit of controversy. Such articles are, of course, not new in The D. In 2007 it published the details of a professor who was arrested for shop lifting (the prof was later acquitted). This past winter it was there to cover the 2014 Class Secretary busted for triple felony drug possession. And who could forget its riveting coverage of the SAE Three and their interesting cocaine habits?
There are two teachable points here:
First, there are no longer such things as youthful indiscretions. In the age of social media and stronger google searches we can no longer escape our pasts. As more information is put online, more and ever more dirt is searchable and therefore instantly accessible. Not only that, but any schmuck who wants to trash someone's reputation only has to mention their name online and voilá! reputation ruined!
Second, like it or not, in today's age the public equates accusation with guilt. Think Duke Lacrosse. Better yet, think Swift Boat Veterans for Truth! If a lying right-wing scumbag who never served an honorable day in the Navy says John Kerry was a self-wounding coward, then it's true. If a college newspaper says that you were arrested for credit card fraud, you must have done it.
So grow up undergrads. Like it or not college is no longer the reputation haven it once was. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Mark Zuckerberg.
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