The Observer, January 27, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 14
Sure, we put out on Fridays, but was it good for you?
I am a nosy person by nature. As I have spent the last seven years of my life pursuing some journalistic venture or another, my condition has severely worsened over time. Since taking over as editor-in-chief of The Observer, this nosiness has evolved beyond my interest simply piquing when conversations around me involve some newsworthy topic. I frequently wander through the home.cwru.edu discussion boards and respond to any questions that involve the student newspaper. On a more extreme note, Friday mornings, I (sub)consciously find myself eavesdropping on conversations held by people holding copies of The Observer, hoping to hear some reader feedback. If you've ever encountered an indiscreet Latina woman hovering around you while you chuckled through Sex and Dating, yes, that was me.
As shameful solicitation within the pages of this paper has not gotten me very far, it is the desperation for feedback that has prompted me to write this column. Any who have not noticed or have disregarded the label beneath The Observer flag that reads "The undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University" have missed the most important component of the paper: the undergraduate student. Contrary to what some believe, the newspaper exists to serve the campus community of undergraduates, to inform them about the goings on of their university, to offer them a medium by which to express themselves in the form of these opinion pages, and maybe to provide a (hopefully intentional) laugh or two. If the Case undergrad does not contribute to the paper, then there is no real way to ensure that his/her needs are met.
For anyone who feels shafted by the offerings of The Observer, below are a few ways to make your opinions heard and incite change within your newspaper.
Letters to the Editor/Commentaries:
Short of the reaction I'd get if I asked the editorial staff to wear their "We put out on Fridays" T-shirts while posing the question "Are we any good?" to any student they came across, it seems that the letter to the editor is the most popular form of feedback for the student body. The kind of passion that can be expressed in 400 words (or less) can have a powerful impact on a reader, and has frequently spurred a series of letters on the same topic. A letter can point out specific parts of the newspaper – regardless of whether they appear in print or deal with the overall aesthetics – and can be either negative or positive (shocking and unheard of, right?). They can stem from social, university, political, or any other kind of idiocies, or they can rave about how much you love your new dorm room with the great double beds. So if you have any strong (or lukewarm-but-important) feelings about the any of the aforementioned topics, as an undergraduate, you have a certain responsibility to your peers to make them known. Requests for non-publication are always honored, and (non-threatening) letters of any nature are always appreciated (see the next section for more on suggestions, criticisms, and accolades).
News/Story/General Tips:
Of course, the only news that matters is that which has some effect on the student body (read: you). Obviously, if you don't find the headlines on the front page interesting, you might flip through a few of the first few pages of each section, but will eventually head straight for the fun page (it hasn't made Friday lectures bearable since 1968 for nothing). While we strive to find the content that is most pertinent to the student body, 5000 pairs of eyes are much more adept at picking up hot news tips. While the occasional oversights on our part do lead to the coveted – albeit, angry – letters to the editor, telling us exactly what you want to see more of will ensure that we do anything in our power to satisfy your need. Whether you hear a rumor on campus about your favorite professor, hear a statistic about student life that makes your skin crawl, or are curious about a campus urban legend, bringing it to the attention of your friendly neighborhood student newspaper could bring you one step closer to finding an answer (especially since it'll take more than Wikipedia or Google to aid the search).
If you have a different type of suggestion – for instance, if you do or don't like a particular layout/section/column – those are also appreciated, but only if you tell us why or why not. As journalists, we put ourselves out there expecting (even craving) constructive criticism, so hurting our feelings or shamelessly boosting our egos are not reasons enough to hold back.
So really, what this – extremely long – plea comes down to is a simple idea: The Observer is the undergraduate student newspaper, your newspaper, and it should reflect your personal needs. Besides, unless you want me buzzing around your shoulder on Friday mornings, sending an e-mail to observer@case.edu might be the better option.
