The first month of Winter term has seen a storm of controversy wash across these pages. From incidents of racism to related columns that have provoked fiery reactions in our community at large, it has been a busy and tumultuous few weeks. In a visible departure from its typical apathy, the student body has inundated The Dartmouth with an impressive volume of guest column submissions and letters to the editor vastly more than we can ever hope to publish. On this note, we would like to take the opportunity to remind campus of two key points.
First, we are always happy to serve as a forum for discussion in which students can express their opinions and understandings of campus dynamics. Second, there are plenty of ways for you to make your voice heard through The Dartmouth without sharing your thoughts in an op-ed.
The Dartmouth is proud to be the source to which students turn when they are seeking to publicize important problems or demand change. As part of our journalistic mission, we are constantly seeking to publish content that sparks dialogue and reflection. We commend the many individuals who have recently chosen to speak out about race relations on campus through the opinion page. While we strive to be an impartial arbiter, we are equally eager to help these conversations move forward.
At the same time, the student body can help us represent varied opinions within the news section. It is your willingness to do something as simple as speak to a reporter that enables us to cover immediate campus issues. Going on the record is an important way to articulate your views and we encourage students to both be more open with reporters and speak their minds. The greater the number of individuals who speak with The Dartmouth on the record, the greater the diversity of perspectives that we will be able to present in our news section.
We concede that students may worry about how their views are being represented. This is why our interview policy indicates that anyone who speaks to our reporters on the record reserves the right to have his or her quotes read back before they are published. Additionally, individuals who believe that they have been misquoted or that The Dartmouth has made a factual error are encouraged to submit corrections to the Editor-in-Chief. Corrections are published online and those articles with inaccuracies are clearly indicated.
In short, we appreciate the efforts of those who have submitted guest content to our opinion page. However, we encourage all members of the Dartmouth community to also contribute to our news section's coverage of important issues and events, and to submit corrections when appropriate.
