A courteous explanation

I fear that we, as the Opinion section, have reached a misunderstanding with our readers. And this week I hope to reconcile some differences that have come to light during the fall 2006 semester.\nFirst, it has been brought to my attention in our weekly Jordan River Forum that there is a recognizable number of readers disappointed in the Opinion content this semester. This might be because there is seldom a fun complimentary letter to write.\nIn fact, the job of the Opinion section is to spur intellectual and social conversation, and criticism is inevitable in any such undertaking. That criticism is welcome. But to be straightforward, I would hope that Opinion will continue to publish content not everyone agrees with and, when appropriate, is critical of decision-making around campus. One of the primary duties of a newspaper is to be a watchdog of the University bureaucracy and government, and the Opinion section is a major element in that process. It cannot shy away from this responsibility because of negative sentiment from those being watched.\nSecond, it seems to be a common view that the columnists and the editorial board spend most of their time complaining about issues without taking action. I completely understand how this could be a common misconception among readers.\nOn the surface, it might appear that we sit behind computer monitors and arbitrarily choose topics and organizations to pick fights with, our only purpose being to complain, not fix the problems we see. But this assumption is a misconception.\nThe Opinion section is, in fact, taking a great action. We speak. And speaking is the impetus to change. As columnists, we take this action every week by identifying problems we perceive and bringing them to the attention of readers. We speak so that you may respond, whether in agreement or disagreement, and begin the motion of change or stand against the pressure of peers.\nFinally, the Opinion section might be perceived as lazy to some readers. I can only give you my personal experience of the work ethic of the staff and the decision-making of its leaders. I assure you that no decision is made lightly and that possible alternatives to every column, editorial or front piece are exhaustively considered. \nAll of these things being said, I'm sure that I have not convinced many skeptics among our readers. That's fine. But as Opinion editor for the spring 2007 semester, I have a challenge for those disappointed in opinion coverage over the last few months: Change it. We are currently accepting applications for spring 2007 Opinion columnists and your voice is wanted. Applications are available at idsnews.com or in the offices of the IDS in Ernie Pyle Hall.\nWe look forward to new voices and more people interested in taking action and bringing about change.