Since this week is the last content week of the semester and the end of my first year as the Daily’s opinion editor, I wanted to thank all of you for taking the time to read the Iowa State Daily this year. It has been a pleasure to engage with all of you and I sincerely hope that you have found my articles and the various contributions from other writers interesting and useful.
However, this is not farewell. I am happy to say that I will be returning as the opinion editor for the 2024-25 school year. I look forward to writing many more articles and learning more about the views of those in the Iowa State community. My belief in the idea that open dialogue surrounding controversial issues is the bulwark to social regress has sustained my confidence that the opinion section is something worth fighting to maintain. Especially given the times that we live in.
Therefore, I strongly encourage anyone who feels strongly about a particular issue or has ever considered writing, to contribute as this section moves forward, as there are many benefits of doing so. However, I also understand why some hesitate. Exposing your opinion, particularly in relation to sensitive topics, is understandably difficult and intimidating, but that is the precise reason one should participate.
It is no secret that we exist in peculiar times, and there is little reason to believe they will normalize in the short-run. However, we choose to remain silent at our peril. This sentiment is even more crucial in the political realm, where the fate of our culture and our values are on the line. In “The Republic,” Plato rightly noted that “one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” And while I am not suggesting that our existence is at stake, as many alarmists do, I suspect we’re at risk of lowering our quality of life by a significant margin. Humanity will persist, as it always does. But at what cost? This brief and troubling query reminds us that no matter how advanced we become, all of us must be mindful of our core values that offer remedy to the inevitable ills. One of these remedies (and the most vital) is our inalienable right to think and speak freely, to exchange ideas and dialogue, and to be controversial without being ruined. What I just stated is controversial in itself; yet it is only obvious that those who avoid controversy are dangerously prone to submission.
On the other hand, the last thing I desire is for the opinion section to become only a hotbed of dissension. If writers wish to submit their opinion on something more agreeable, this section is also for you! For example, I have begun writing book reviews and reflective articles about literature. Other columnists have written about topics such as art and mental health; the section is truly open terrain.
Again, I hope this year has provided you with good reading and I hope next year provides even more. I am confident, so long as you, members of the Iowa State community, stay engaged.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions and if you are interested in writing in the future.
