Dear Denisonians. Particularly in light of the campus climate with regard to the election, we feel that it’s more important than ever to live up to our role as a space for campus conversations to take place.
The Opinion section of the paper is your place to submit your opinions on any topic you can think of, either in the form of a letter to the editor or a Your Voice column. Unless there is an ethical problem with the piece (or it has been previously published elsewhere, such as in The Bullsheet), we will most likely print it.
The importance of dialogue spaces is greater now than it has been for a long time. While it is definitely more convenient to send to the ‘Sheet–they publish every day and are distributed throughout campus on a regular basis–it is important to note the problems that can arise from instant publication.
How many flame wars have started as a result of social media posts? In a way, the ‘Sheet is similar to Facebook. Through no fault of the editors, submissions come in hot and fiery the instant an issue occurs. This instant gratification can result in pieces that come off as personal attacks or worse. How many times have we all said something that we didn’t mean or came to regret while in the heat of passion?
The Denisonian’s weekly publication time allows more opportunity for feedback on articles, allowing writers to go back and catch things that they might not mean or that might be unintentionally offensive. We also offer opportunities to work with our editorial staff to make sure you are expressing your opinion clearly. If there is an issue with your article (such as ethical problems or personal attacks), we also offer the opportunity to rewrite or edit it so that it meets publication requirements. We do this not out of a desire to censor your opinions but to make sure that we are fostering civil discourse among students and staff.
We know how important it is that people have a space to to express themselves, and we try our best to provide one.