Letter to the editor

Student has issues with opinions

The First Amendment is a wonderful thing. It allows us to express our ideas freely and it prevents the government from restricting that right.

However, it is that freedom that leads to some insanely bogus ideas and thoughts that can be presented by anyone. I find myself once again reading viewpoints in the Student Voice that seem like they are written just for the sake of being written.

You have every right to publish what you do. However, I also have every right as a reader to say that Brad Brookins’ “facts” about “Chronic Annoying Syndrome” are exactly the reason why I rarely read the Student Voice.

I am using this specific column as an example, but this is not the only time I have seen sophomoric standards in this newspaper that I, as a reader, quite frankly do not appreciate.

It seems that we have translated journalistic freedom into a free-for-all of ideas that often make no apparent sense.

I’m sorry if I offend the Chief of Off-Campus Travel, but your column is an example as to why many scoff at the Student Voice.

I find it ironic that the column which proclaimed “All facts regarding CAS have been happily donated and proven by Science,” also appeared in the same newspaper with a full-page article priding itself on keeping us informed and providing factual information.

Being a musician, there are times where I have a license to improvise whatever I want, and that is sometimes for a paying audience. Now having that license, I have to use it respectfully and responsibly, or I can count on not being asked to play again.

Imagine a jazz rhythm section performing a slow, soft ballad, and then I come in as loud, fast, and obnoxious as I can. You probably won’t appreciate it because it is so far out of context. You probably will not want to hear me perform again, because my choice of artistic freedom completely abuses the reasons why that freedom was provided to me in the first place. I have every right to do that, but then you would have every right to never listen to me perform again.

In theory, the Student Voice can print whatever it wants, just like I can play whatever I want. However, as creative professionals we need to remember that the product we create has an audience. That audience needs to be kept in mind, because if we aren’t careful, we will find ourselves without anyone willing to listen.

Jesse Talbot, student