Offender should still be treated with decency

It is not the policy toward plagiarism or the result of such an offense that bothers me. Rather, I was very disturbed by the reaction of the student body toward the incident involving former Tribune associate sports editor Sarah Sherman. Before I say anything about it, it is important that I point out that there were many students whom I encountered who showed a genuine concern for the situation and an overall feeling that this is a very unfortunate circumstance. That being said, it seemed as though everywhere I turned there were a number of people who found this to be a humorous matter. Furthermore, they were taking pleasure in Sherman’s misfortune.

It is everyone’s right to judge this journalistic move, but it is unacceptable to judge the author herself because of it. While Sherman does come from a family that is no stranger to the public eye, that should not serve as a springboard for ridicule by those students who do not understand the implications that could follow.

Anybody who knows anything about the business of journalism knows that this is something that will likely affect Sherman negatively down the road. So let’s keep this in mind and think of it for what it really is: A poor decision by a good person, which has led to an unfortunate situation. Let’s leave out the character judgment.

While this incident does affect Sherman’s professional credibility as a journalist, it does not make her any less of a person. We are a university founded on Christian beliefs, so let’s keep this in the foreground of our minds, as we are Sherman’s classmates.

Madson is a senior broadcasting major.