The Mercury has retracted an article published on Oct. 2 in light of new information regarding false statements in the piece. The story was about overcrowding in classrooms and the potential reasons for overcrowding.
Following publication, a staff member and member of administration raised concerns of falsified statements and misattributions about Andrea Croasdale Woudwyck, Ingrid London and Loren Smith.
The story erroneously attributed the following quote to Woudwyck:
“I like to call it a hunting pass,” Woudwyk said. “Because it’s simply a pass to look for a spot, and it’s not always guaranteed to be available.”
This was a false statement, not said in an interview with the reporter.
The story also wrongly said:
‘Ingrid London, assistant provost for admissions and enrollment, said that overcrowding in classes may be due to the recent spike in enrollment. Director of Admissions Loren Smith agreed and said that while the population increase is a sign of positive growth, the campus’s infrastructure needs to keep pace.
“I think the campus may need to expand in terms of size and general infrastructure,” Smith said. “We just need more space.”’
The reporter provided the editorial board with a transcript that contained fabricated quotes. Keeping with The Mercury’s ethos of honest journalism, the editorial board decided to retract the article. It has since been removed from our website. The staff writer responsible for writing the piece has been terminated.
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