The Daily Orange’s coverage of the Theta Tau story over the past week has been exceptional. It’s a fresh reminder of The D.O.’s importance and its essential role on campus.

One of the (few) positive side effects of the Trump administration is the re-energized journalism from organizations like The Boston Globe, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Where do they get their journalists? From institutions like The Daily Orange.

Over the last week, The D.O. has done an exemplary job of breaking and covering a blossoming national story. Months prior, it joined with ProPublica to report on hate crimes and harassment on campus.

I hope The D.O.’s readers know: This isn’t under the direction of university advisers or professors. This work is guided by the student leadership of the newspaper.

The road to addressing Theta Tau requires transparency — transparency the university is rarely willing to give. The value of a strong student newspaper that’s editorially and financially independent from the university is so clear in these situations. The SU community should work to ensure it’s there long into the future.

Sincerely,

Jared Novack, Syracuse University Class of 2006