Today, I'd like to kick off the year by risking offending a group of people whom it could be dangerous to offend.
I'd like to write this column about columnists.
It's perhaps a bit bizarre, or at the very least, self serving, to write about writers, but hey, we're a bizarre, self-serving bunch.
Monday night, I went to a columnist meeting at the brand-new offices of The Dartmouth. It was amazing: suddenly, I was surrounded by the students whose opinions I read religiously for three terms. The occupants of the room had in turn amused, offended, bored and inspired me for nine months.
But here's the big surprise. I'll tell you a secret: in person, many of my fellow columnists are, well, very quiet. Reserved, even. It's not like I expected a party or even a lively debate anything like those that occurred on these pages last year. After all, this was a causal meeting over pizza. All the same, I kept thinking, "How can people with such strong opinions in print have such small voices in person?" It was like meeting your favorite radio personality and finding he has two heads. Or something.
One subject that we did debate was The Dartmouth's current "picture policy." No such image accompanies these words; I, alas, have not yet achieved the heroic status of "staff columnist." (Give me a few weeks). However, editorials by staff columnists run with their picture. Many authors in the room protested this policy and supported removing the pictures, arguing that their words should stand alone.
But I disagree, because in real life, words never stand alone. Columns are opinions, and opinions come from people, and people are biased. There is nothing impartial or unbiased about an opinion column; that would be a contradiction in terms.
Bias becomes an issue for a columnist in two ways: bias of the writer, and bias of the reader, both relevant in the case of the picture. Possible bias of the writer could be betrayed in a photograph when some characteristic of the writer relevant to the column's subject matter is revealed by the picture. For instance, race or ethnic background.
Bias of the reader becomes an issue when the reader becomes biased for or against the writer, again because of something revealed by the picture. The more pressing concern of my fellow opinion writers was this latter type of bias. The fear was that their picture would diminish their credibility for some readers, whether by revealing their race or simply by being an unflattering image. ("I look like an alien!" cried one columnist in anguish. You'll just have to guess which).
But according to their implied argument of possible reader bias, my name should be removed also, because for many I may lose credibility merely by being female. My year should be removed as well, for some may think, "Why listen to this moron; she is but a '99."
As far as writer bias goes, I cannot possibly avoid the fact that I write as a Caucasian female, just barely a sophomore, ultimately limited by my experiences but eager in my quest for truth. I cannot see the harm in revealing these things about me, nor the benefit in hiding them, and if someone is going to bother reading 750 or more words of my opinions, perhaps they deserve to know who I am.
Finally, and most importantly, the picture policy forces writers to stand behind their opinions, and to become real to their readers. This, I believe, may have been the paramount concern of my fellow opinion writers. The picture -- that wretched, identifying, exposing image -- forces the transition from quasi-anonymous writer to campus figure, which might be a bigger role than some are ready to assume. But those of us with opinions cannot, or should not, hide in newsprint forever.
While The D is the most widely read student paper at Dartmouth, there are many other publications on campus devoted solely to opinion pieces. So, why write columns for the D, or any publication? What does it take to be a D columnist, or any other? Not much, some would say.
It takes some pretty strong opinions, or some well-formed ideas, at least. It takes some writing skills; or maybe not, in some cases. It takes some courage; it can be pretty scary to expose one's ideas to one's peers. Finally, I'd be the first to admit, it takes some ego -- there's nothing like seeing your name in 12 point type.
We write to vent, to inform, to entertain, to debate, to persuade, to inspire. And here's where I really get self serving and condescending: First-year students, listen up. As a UGA, and as a writer, and as a concerned member of this Dartmouth community, I hereby encourage you to read The D, and The Review, and The Beacon, and all the other campus publications. You may not agree with what we say, but we all write for a reason. And there aren't very many other forums for campus debate, certainly none so accessible. Have a fabulous first year, and thanks for reading.
