A Letter from the Editors

With Regards to “Student Body President Reluctantly Resigns Following Senate Request”

On June 25, the Quest published an article detailing the events leading up to the resignation of former Student Body President Pax Lloyd-Burchett. It was an article that was necessary to investigate and publish. We received feedback and complaints regarding the article’s nature and content, and so we edited and republished the article on June 29.

The Quest apologizes to survivors at Reed, and the Reed community as a whole, for the harm caused by our article. The article was factually accurate; however, it portrayed an incomplete story. The Quest supports and believes survivors. We know that we can, and will, do better. Throughout the summer, we will revisit our policies and procedures, and create lesson plans for additional contributor training to ensure that these situations are handled with care and with the aim of harm reduction. We will also hold editor office hours beginning in the fall, to listen to the student body and hear your concerns, alongside our standing open editing nights and contributor meetings. 

It is, and has always been, the Quest’s duty to report on issues of student governance. Senate’s procedures and transparency are important to Reed students and community members. For this reason, the article focused on Senate and Honor Council processes and decision-making, not the details of the interpersonal conflict. It was, and remains, the Quest’s job to report on Senate; transparency in our process ensures transparency in not just Senate’s process, but also in the administration’s, the Board of Trustees’, and the many other bodies that determine Reed’s policies and bureaucracy. 

It is important to question those in charge. As members of the Reed community, it is valuable to see how people with power react to being questioned. It is for those moments that the Quest, and journalism itself, exists: to let you see what happens behind closed doors, to present various perspectives, and to allow you to draw your own conclusions. Journalism serves as a system of checks and balances; we hold institutions of power accountable. When the Quest is under attack, we are less concerned with its reputation, but more so for the larger implications for the Reed community. 

Although the Quest is funded by Senate and dictated to exist by the Senate Bylaws, it thrives entirely by the will of students. It is students who write articles, layout issues, distribute copies, and send in ideas. That is why we work to ensure that there is a space for anybody to speak, write, persuade, and share. We keep our doors open on editing night not only to facilitate transparency, but to meet you. We allow anyone and everyone to contribute because the Quest is ultimately shaped by students. We want you to tell us your concerns and ideas, but beyond that, we want you to engage, participate, and create the change you want. Write that column or article or letter to the editors. We will continue to host meetings and open door discussions; all you have to do is show up.

The Quest Editorial Board thanks students for voicing their concerns. We heard your anger, and the Board did not stand idly by. With your feedback, we were able to improve the article and are confident in the final version we published. We are excited to continue working to improve the Quest. We look forward to rewriting policies, procedures, and creating a more detailed framework for future communities of writers, editors, and reporters. We are committed, now and always, to our responsibility to serve and inform the Reed community. 

Sincerely,

The Quest Editorial Board

Katherine Draves ‘22, Elai Kobayashi-Solomon ‘21, Clarissa Lam ‘23, Wani Pandey ‘23, and Dan Primka ‘21