Meaningless Preoccupation

To the Editors of The Crimson:

There are probably few more meaningless preoccupations around Harvard than correcting errors of fact or interpretation in The Crimson, but here goes. An Update article in your November 17 issue, Nicole Seligman's "The Union That Never Made It," contains several references to the Adams History Club. The problem lies with your reporter's statement that we were "successful last year in fighting the History Department on the number of teaching fellow openings." It just didn't happen. What transpired, more or less, was this. The History Department requested a certain number of teaching fellow fifths from the Dean to accomodate the anticipated undergraduate enrollment in tutorials this year. The Dean's Office said no and set aside funds for fewer fifths than requested. Graduate students were concerned and same so. So was the department, and several of its senior members said so, too. The Dean's Office looked at the figures again and changed its mind. Last year members of the Adams Club discussed various issues and problems with appropriate members of the History Department, but weren't "fighting" them over anything. We certainly weren't fighting them on an issue where the department and its graduate students were in total agreement on the necessity of rectifying a mistake made by somebody else, and where the graduate students remain grateful for the support offered by the department.

This is the point where one would typically launch a jeremiad about reportorial accuracy, but letters taking that approach have become as stereotyped and predictable as the original errors. Still, if members of a History Club aren't concerned with getting its history told correctly, who will be? Donald C. Bellomy   John J. Bukowczyk   Teaching Fellows in History