The first fall breeze brings with it the fresh and confused faces of first-year students who still don’t know the way to Val and the inevitable “new school year” resolutions which upperclassmen come up with: “this year, I won’t pull any all-nighters” or “this year, I’m actually going to find out what the inside of the Alumni Gym looks like.”
Although we at the editorial board of The Student cannot vouch for how likely you are to work out this semester or stop drinking on Wednesday nights, we do know one resolution that should be high on your list: get more involved with the College newspaper, in any capacity you can. This is something we encourage all students to do — especially first-year students, who are going to make decisions in the first few weeks that could shape their entire college experience. Getting involved with the newspaper is something that can not only make you grow and learn at an individual level, but positively shape the collective experience of all students at the College.
This is especially important in the tender first few weeks of a new academic year, because there is a decided shift in the college dynamic: 25 percent of the student body is brand new, there are rollovers in Senate seats and executive board positions, including a new student body president, new leaders will take charge of clubs on campus, and there will be an overall atmosphere of newness that can lend itself to exciting change if steered in the right direction. The newspaper offers you a steering wheel to make that change by allowing you to share opinions and interact with fellow students and even administrators whether it be by writing for the newspaper, discussing it at lunch on Wednesdays or through the comments on our website.
The Student, by the simple virtue of the extent of copies published on a weekly basis and its wide circulation to students, professors, staff and administrators, is a vehicle for voices to be heard by a variety of people. Too often, its potential is undermined, especially by a college community that desires change but is often either too busy or too apathetic to take the necessary steps towards it. This year, the staff at The Student would like to send a message to the student body: speak up and speak out!
Whether it’s as simple as an issue you have with the way the cafeteria or your dorm functions, or as complicated as your stance on big political issues like the upcoming elections, The Student offers space for you to articulate your position to the whole College community, and continue the discussion over the dinner table at Val or the comments section of our website. Who knows, moreover, if your article catches the eye of a Dean or professor, you could even find yourself carrying those conversations to committees and administrative offices: and the propensity those discussions have for making serious change are endless.
