Letter from the opinion editor
To the students, faculty, staff and friends of PSU,
A friend asked me over the summer break why I would want to continue as Opinion Editor of the Vanguard newspaper. The way she described it – the low pay, long hours and the resulting product (“paper that was thrown away at the end of the day”) was a job that no one should desire. Good point. The answer is a little more obtuse, though. It begins when I first enrolled at Portland State University as a transfer student and into my second month of study I realized the PSU community had a daily paper. I was surprised, to say the least, and wondered how I could have missed it.
I began reading it every day and wondered, does anybody else?
A peer vented one day about how the paper “sucked”, not a particularly eloquent critique, but an effective one.
What I read day after day didn’t particularly suck more, than say, other daily college papers. It was, however, filled with the standard errors and humorous lapses in good judgment.
I did notice that every student who swore to me they didn’t read the paper were very aware when major news or coverage of a scandal erupted in its pages, and especially when it occurred on the opinion/editorial pages. They were reading it, after all.
I am continually thrilled that in a university with no school of journalism and limited budgets, a group of my peers would want to work so hard for the love of dialogue, debate and the freedoms of speech and expression. I will continue to strive to serve the students of Portland State in the service of these ideals.
The opinion pages of the Vanguard is an open forum for students, faculty, staff, community members and any other interested parties to express their self on whatever they deem worthy.
Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome at any time and on any subject. Though it is not possible to commit all to print, all will be considered in the same manner (please note the addresses and e-mails below). Paid and unpaid opinion columnist positions are also obtainable throughout the year.
It is with great enthusiasm that I and the other members of the opinion staff (see this page) begin this year.
Best regards,
Jason G. Damron
Opinion Editor
503-725-5692
SMC Sub-basement (S26)
Portland State University