Letter to the Editor

Originally published on November 28, 2015

Dear Editor,

The Class of 2016 Board would like to apologize in regards to our choice of “Most Ratchet” to be allowed in the pop polls.

We are here to fully support an inclusive Lowell community.

We would like to explain how the category was allowed to be printed. We did not intend it to be a negative category or to shine any students in a bad light. At the time we printed pop polls, we were unaware of the negative connotations of the term “ratchet,” or of any racist implications behind the word. With this new knowledge, in no circumstances would we ever allow this term to be used.

As student government leaders, we are here to fully support an inclusive Lowell community.

We have removed this category and we ensure that boards in the future do not repeat this mistake. We have already discussed this with yearbook and it will not be published.

Sincerely,

Class of 2016 Board

(Editor’s note: see Finding Equity, Part 1: African-American students share their stories of problems with Lowell’s lack of diversity)