User talk:Julie Riddle

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August 2009
Please stop adding unencyclopedic material to the Whitworth University article. Encyclopedic articles do not sing the praises of their subject, nor should they include long lists of individual achievements. Please read WP:NOTDIR, and consider improving the article with relevant information of the proper tone, using reliable sources to verify the statements made. Thank you. Drmies (talk) 18:18, 21 August 2009 (UTC)
 * For instance, this passage you added, "While some Christian colleges limit discussion of challenging ideas or engagement with the broader culture, Whitworth encourages tough questions and a fearless pursuit of truth wherever it may be found. And though many secular colleges dismiss the very notion of certainty or moral absolutes, Whitworth upholds Christian conviction and intellectual curiosity as complementary rather than competing values," is of an inappropriate nature. Thank you. Drmies (talk) 18:19, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

I would be happy to do as instructed. However, I cannot access the information I just updated and saved in order to revise it. Any suggestions on how to locate it? Julie Riddle (talk) 18:25, 21 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Julie, it's all saved in the history. However, I would recommend you create a WP:Sandbox first, so you can come up with a more complete and referenced approach. I'd love to tell you more but I have a meeting to go to right now. Above, I'll stick a template with some useful links. Sorry, gotta run, Drmies (talk) 18:36, 21 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, meeting canceled. For a nice example of a good article on an American university, look at the big ones, like Princeton. Whatever 'positive' statements there are in that article are backed up by reliable, third-party sources (see WP:RS); same with negative statements. You'll also note that those articles do not have sections on achievements by faculty or students, unless those are so notable that they made headlines. There's no lists of sports achievements, for instance, though plenty of universities have plenty to brag about--that sort of material is just not encyclopedic. For sports, look at University of Alabama, for instance: that Shawn Alexander was later an MVP in the NFL is not in there, only verifiable and relevant facts. They have a separate football article, Alabama Crimson Tide football, and that stands to reason in a case like Alabama's (Princeton does not have such an article). For smaller universities and sports, see Auburn Montgomery, or University of North Carolina at Asheville. They may have a lot less information than you and others might like to see, but that's the nature of the encyclopedic beast. Hope this helps, Drmies (talk) 18:58, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

Editing athletics/alumni text on Whitworth University page
In August 2009, Drmies advised that a good article on a university does not include sections on achievements by faculty or students, athletics achievements, or notable alumni (see copy of message below). The achievements in these categories that currently appear on Whitworth Unversity's page (ahtletics and alumni) were not added by a university staff member. I would like to remove these sections per Drmies' advice and insert a short description of Whitworth's athletics program, but am unsure if I am allowed to do so. Could you recommend how I can edit our page to be more encyclopedic, given the material that currently appears on the page? Thanks. Julie Riddle (talk) 16:55, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

You'll also note that those articles do not have sections on achievements by faculty or students, unless those are so notable that they made headlines. There's no lists of sports achievements, for instance, though plenty of universities have plenty to brag about--that sort of material is just not encyclopedic. For sports, look at University of Alabama#Football, for instance: that Shawn Alexander was later an MVP in the NFL is not in there, only verifiable and relevant facts. They have a separate football article, Alabama Crimson Tide football, and that stands to reason in a case like Alabama's (Princeton does not have such an article). For smaller universities and sports, see Auburn Montgomery, or University of North Carolina at Asheville. They may have a lot less information than you and others might like to see, but that's the nature of the encyclopedic beast. Hope this helps, Drmies (talk) 18:58, 21 August 2009 (UTC)