I had an entirely different idea for my editorial this week. I wanted to discuss how I attended Castle Point Anime Convention for the first time despite being a junior, how my judgmental notions of CPAC were squashed, and how nice the entire experience was for me not as an anime fan, but as a person. I even thought about shoehorning WrestleMania 31 in my editorial somehow. However, all upbeat and uplifting editorial ideas have been squashed by the Student Government Association, right here at Stevens.
Let me preface the remainder of my editorial but stating that this is not an anti-SGA article. If anything, regrettably, this is a bit of a meandering rant; please bear with me.
When the new executive board took over The Stute, and I became Editor-in-Chief, I stated that my primary goal was to create a rock-solid foundation for future members, executive board members, and editor-in-chiefs of The Stute. This declaration is right in my editorial last week. What was not in my editorial last week was a list (yes, a literal list) of over 20 other goals that will help us lay that foundation. From overhauling our website to reconstructing our constitution and bylaws, this exhaustive list serves as a massive to-do list, one that I hope to have all checked off by the end of my time as Editor-in-Chief.
Among these goals is one called “The SGA and us.” In this section I discuss talking to a new publisher, producing better content to popularize the paper, holding more events (or any event at all), and being more vocal with the SGA about what The Stute is doing (in addition to the several other goals).
I’ve spoken to SGA President Matt Hunt and Vice President Vincent “Vinnie” Raimondi already, as I know them personally, and from what I understood through these conversations, the SGA was ready to give The Stute a chance, albeit perhaps a final one. That was fine! This e-board was placed in such a great position thanks to our most recent predecessor that we are hungry and ready to make significant chance within The Stute on all fronts.
In fact, up until I received word that some members of the SGA took issue with what our current Managing Editor and Mind of a Freshman columnist Lisa Mengotto said in regards to the SGA and its distribution of power, I thought everything was completely fine.
I thought this was an understood fact across the entire world, but what a publication publishes does not necessarily reflect the views of that publication. The Stute is an outlet for students to voice their opinions. From a letter to the editor that bashed Ann Coulter’s presence at Stevens to the former chair of the Honor Board discussing proctors to a letter from Matt Hunt that I was expecting and is hopefully published somewhere in this issue, The Stute allows people to be heard.
Both in literal and newspaper jargon, when we allow students to have their voices heard, this is called opinion. It is the most popular section of The Stute, and most other publications. People like to hear the opinions of others; they like to agree, disagree, argue, or disregard them. We never deny a letter to the editor or a column from a columnist because we give everyone an equal opportunity to express their opinions if they so desire.
Here’s the bottom line. Folks at the SGA: please do not perceive a student’s opinion as the burning of a bridge between two organizations. We at The Stute allow all to be heard. If that student’s opinion was in disagreement with yours or reflected poorly on the SGA, then perhaps it is indicative of a problem. Then again, perhaps it isn’t and that student is off-base. It’s an opinion. Take it as seriously as you want, but understand that The Stute will not be villainized for allowing students to express themselves in regards to the institution that they have, are, and will continue to attend until graduation.
It just means they care.
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