The Retort

Call to Action

September 25th, 2009 by Jen Gross Of The Retort Staff

Let me say, I am totally thrilled that two valiant persons have stepped forward to run The Retort again this year. I don’t care what you say about them, but Bailey and Steven are awesome for taking on the tremendous and onerous responsibility of running this paper!

When the two editors-in-chief asked me to be the Opinion Editor, I had to think about it for a while. First of all, I have no recent experience in journalistic writing, and none whatsoever in editing. Not to worry though, fellow students - I am mindful of the impartial nature required of an editor, especially in the case of an editor of opinions.

The way I look at it, this is a wonderfully diverse campus with nearly 5000 unique, individual students. Each one of us has an extremely broad range of experiences, perspectives, backgrounds and strengths. Each of us has a lot to offer in the way of perspective. We as students should definitely take advantage of this opportunity to engage in dialogue with one another, and express our thoughts and opinions on topics or issues that we think are important!

I need to make something clear. I have a lot of passion. Part of the allure that led me to accept this position is that the Opinion section is an excellent medium for expressing some of that passion, and I intend to do so. I also feel that the Opinion section can help us spark meaningful conversations with our peers, which can result in solving problems – imagine that!

The Opinion section has been designated four (!) pages in this glorious little newspaper. My hope is that some of you may feel inclined to write down your provocative, opinionated, and/or controversial thoughts and submit them to The Retort. This is your newspaper! Besides, if you do, you won’t have to read - and I won’t have to write - four pages worth of my opinions!

The short time we spend at college can be spent many ways. I see it as an ideal opportunity to discover ourselves, and our voices. Voice, or opinion, is too often neglected these days, as we simply meld into the crowd, our voices no longer distinguishable from the nonsensical rhetoric of the popular culture.

So, this is my call to action. If you have an opinion about something, anything, let us know! Do you feel strongly about healthcare reform? Are you ticked off about something happening on campus? Are you outraged at the disrespect for wildlife manifest in lifeless bodies, so ludicrously referred to as “road kill,” littering the city streets? Write a letter to the editor! Let us know! For goodness sakes, be heard!

To express one’s self is to empower one’s self. That is something we all need to do, and it’s an important part of college.

But hey, that’s just my opinion! What’s yours?