Commentary

Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. All other material represents the opinion of the authors. Deadline for submissions is the 10th of every month.

The Metropolitan retains the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar and punctuation. Letters without a signature will not be printed. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of any department or college, the university, the state university system, the student body, or The Metropolitan.

Letters to the Editor
Commentary Policy

As a former Metropolitan State University student and editor of The Metropolitan, I am saddened to hear of your decision to limit commentary.

This strikes me as counter-productive. The events of last spring should call for more vigorous efforts to engage student opinion.

The underlying current of tension came to the surface because of the commentary. The commentary did not create the tensions; it existed long before the piece was printed.

If anything, the commentary in question made it possible to bring this issue to the forefront of students, faculty and the administration.

Could the piece have been written differently and perhaps create the same level of engagement? Perhaps. But the point remains, the commentary became a rallying cry for change. Your decision to drastically reduce, or remove entirely, an opinion section from the paper will not make the tensions of last year, or other tensions still brewing, go away.

Your new policy does a disservice to students with reasonable opinions and positions on issues they feel are not being addressed. Your decision may in fact increase the sense of frustration students feel because you have removed a reasonable vehicle of student expression.

It is the editor’s responsibility to decide what commentary may be considered too caustic for publication. You have simply relinquished your responsibility behind your fear of offending.

Should your decisions in the future pursue this same path of reasoning, what is next? No articles on the legislative initiatives that effect MnSCU because it may offend one group or another? No articles on the arts as some may find the art in poor taste? No articles on sports because not everyone can agree on who the paper should report on?

Perhaps these examples are somewhat exaggerated. But the reasons for your decision, and your wish to play it safe, opens a door from which objections on a whole series of other issues will have to be treated in the same fashion as your decision toward commentary. Otherwise you will be seen as favoring one side over another.

How far is the paper willing to abdicate its mission of being "an independent student voice?"

It is my hope you will reconsider your decision and make public a new/old policy that enhances an independent voice for students.

-- Bryan Haugen

*Editor’s Note
This letter is in response only to the new policy stated in last month’s article entitled, "The Metropolitan revises its focus," specifically that "All other articles [non-news articles], including commentary, will be published on a space-available basis."

It should be noted that The Metropolitan welcomes any and all submissions, but does not guarantee that all submissions will be printed. All submissions are reviewed by the editorial staff and considered for publication.

The editorial staff is considering starting an online editorial forum to maintain the dialogue.

Please send all submissions and/or suggestions to the editor, Carin Mangimeli, at mangimca@go.metrostate.edu.