The Wespeaks section is one of the most popular features of the Argus, and rightfully so. The Wespeaks page is, we hope, a forum in which students and community members can share opinions and information with one another and take part in campus-wide dialogue.
At its start in mid-1980s, the Wespeak was intended to provide a space for cogent Op-Ed arguments of relevance to current affairs and issues. Originally, only a select few Wespeaks were printed per issue, while shorter-form, less developed opinion pieces were printed as Letters to the Editor. The format demarcated the two types of contributions and maintained a more formal submission process.
While the current, comparatively loose Wespeaks policy has clear advantages, the content and style of many recent Wespeaks have provoked conversations regarding their place in the paper. Some recent submissions could be categorized as hate speech, while others have been nonsensical, or inclusive of obscure inside jokes. Others, meanwhile, have been confusingly worded or seemingly without any point whatsoever.
When Wespeaks approach the categories of personal attacks, blatant advertisement, or slander, the onus falls on the Argus to consider, and continually reconsider, community standards and suitability. We will not knowingly publish things that fall into those categories. Still, on the whole, we publish nearly every Wespeak we receive.
So here’s where you come in: whatever your judgment of it or its content, the Argus is still the newspaper of the campus, and is funded in part through the student activity fees of every student. We want to honor the dignity of our publication and accurately represent the sensibilities of as much of the student body as possible.
In an effort to truly represent the voices of this community, we want to make sure this isn’t all in our heads. Therefore, if more students have noticed a difference in the Wespeaks page and are unhappy with it, let us know. If, on the other hand, you’ve noticed a difference and really like it, you should let us know that too.
The clearer the consensus is on the matter, the better we can serve the student body. So (for those of you who are still with us, and haven’t already skipped to them) we invite you to take a look at what you see on the Wespeaks page and tell us what you think. Write a Wespeak about Wespeaks, or privately e-mail the Argus in confidence (argus@wesleyan.edu)—either way, we want your opinion.
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