Last week’s story concerning the arrest of Student body president Ainooson caused quite a stir on the campus.  Here are some of your thoughts, taken from comments posted on our website, concerning the story.    “I am disgusted by people’s reactions to this. This arrest is not news pertinent to the UMass Boston campus. Student Government has not done anything for the campus at all this year, so why run an article that will smear someone’s life when they are clearly in a rough spot?

What about how Terral is feeling? A comment from him maybe? Notifying him that you were going to publish this perhaps? I am ashamed to be part of the UMB community today because of you writing this Ben. You did exactly what bad press does. You reported on something sensational that has no real value or effect on our community because it would get more readers. Why not try to produce a better newspaper?” -Anonymous

“I am disgusted by your disgust. If the President of the Student Senate’s arrest for possession and distribution of illicit substances is not newsworthy for the Mass Media, I ask you, what is?

Obviously you only have misgivings because you are Terral’s personal friend. You attack Ben when you can’t defend Terral. Terral is (was) in a position of responsibility, he made his choices. I am sure he’d rather this not be reported on, we agree there — but no one is “smearing” Terral. A smear is an accusation that isn’t true. What in “President of the Undergraduate Student Government Terral Ainooson was arrested in his home on Veterans Day by members of the Boston Police Department and charged with possession of a class D substance with intent to distribute, according to police documents” is not true? If any of it is, sue the paper for libel. Plain and simple.

What of it is not newsworthy? If Deval Patrick or Bob DeLeo were arrested for having and selling marijuana, do you not think the Globe should have some interest? Or should it be swept under the rug – covered up – because of “how they feel” about it.     You are a sap.” -Anonymoose”The arrest of the president of the student government is ABSOLUTELY pertinent to the life of the UMB campus. Do you not think the people who voted for him have the right to know that he is being brought up on criminal charges? And do not attack the student journalists who reported the story. Ben is doing his job. As an editor and writer for the paper it is his job to report the news, and he did just that. If you think his facts are incorrect, then you have something to complain about, because if he did not conduct proper research or check his facts before publishing them, then he did not do his job. But that has not been proven to be the case here.

I commend Ben and the team at the Mass Media for reporting what was undoubtedly a story that took courage to print.” -DP”As a member of the student government I must say that I am highly disappointed by the Mass Media and its staff for writing such an article. We in this country have a presumption of innocence until tried and thus posting such material without any clear conviction of its accuracy can unjustly mar a person and the entire community. We are all part of the UMass community and must stand by one another and not create tension or any friction within. THIS CANNOT BE tolletated [sic]. I urge you, the Mass Media and its staff to write a public appolgy[sic], on the cover page, in the upcoming eddition [sic] or I will have to vote down any and all potential funding you can aquire [sic] from the school budget. This is shameful and we cannot hold our heads high when we attack our fellow peers. I am trully [sic] disgusted and frantic to see this happening.” -Senator Andrew A. Ghobrial[editors note:  The senate does not control any Mass Media funds because of situations just like this one]”Doesn’t more than 75% of the UMB community smoke including you, Ben? I’m not exactly sure how a marijuana enthusiast as yourself can judge and convict a person as you did in “your” paper. On the subject of the Senate, from what I have heard, wasn’t the there a deficit of 2/3 of the Senate this year? Why don’t you try to run a new and clueless student body. I would actually like to see more student representatives at least be compensated with a small stipend. There is obviously more work there than any volunteer can find motivation to do. I would like to see a paper published after the results of the case have been determined. This would give much more authority to a hungry and petty writer, no?”  -Anonymous”Let us not forget what Terral has done on our campus. As a club member I have watched our funds deplete while Terral picks himself up a paycheck. His position is now a paid position which according to my understanding he and the budget and finance chair arranged. I went to the budget meeting last year. I asked questions along with fellow student and I was stonewalled while Terral and his goons when on a witch hunt against the Student Trustee. We hear how he bashes his fraturnaty brothers and how disrespectful he was to CASA members when he ran that organization. He has stepped on as many people as possible to get where he is and I don’t see him ever looking out for anyone but #1. His inconsideration for the position that he holds and his ever so present temper need to be put in check.

Our student senate has become a joke under Terral’s leadership and this only goes further as my club scrambles to have an event this semester. To the person complaining about the Mass Media picking up the story, the Boston Globe did as well. Are you going to tell them that it’s not news worthy?     When the Student Body President, who is NOT elected by the students, wants to act larger then life and above the law, as a repeat offender he should be punished and maybe even expelled. What kind of reputation is he setting for the students? To the potiential [sic] employers reading the paper wondering whether to hire someone from UMass. As a current student, my prospects after graduation are more important to me than sparing someone’s feelings that has stepped on all of his friends.”-BK