Last night, an email was sent out to listserv of the Asian American Alliance Political Committee; in this e-mail, some private and sensitive information was released prior to consent from relevant parties. I should have made some things more clear and been more cautious with my actions, but an apology is definitely due to the recipients of this listserv and the individual involved.

(The message was in reaction to a meeting that I had a few minutes before with some writers of the Spectator. If hearing about the incident in stressed detail was not sobering enough, it didn't take me long to realize how personal this incident could become for our board due to our personal ties to the student and his friends.)

My intention was to acknowledge this complication and preempt personal feelings in a message to the AAA board and the Political Committee, in total composed of the board and a very small group of affiliate members and friends. That aaa_pc@columbia.edu reaches literally scores of students who do not belong in any Political Committee action or proceedings was something that I should have been aware of. But due to miscommunication and turnover problems, this was not let known to me. This error does not lessen the damage made by the message sent yesterday, and for this I give my apologies.

Immediate corrections are going to take place in order to keep confidential and personal information and plans of action between the members of the Asian American Alliance and its committee members.

We will be reforming the listserv for the Asian American Alliance Political Committee. If you wish to be a part of the Political Committee, please email Marilla Li at ml2573@barnard.edu. If you wish to be informed of the events and campaigns being coordinated by the Political Committee, please sign up for the Asian American Alliance General Body listserv.

For continuing updates on the proceedings of this incident and the investigation henceforth, please refer to The Columbia Spectator or The Blaaag, the weblog of the Asian American Alliance.

David Zhou