Join the Opinions Team!

The Opinions section is the only forum through which all members of the College—students, faculty, administration, staff, alumni/ae—can voice their thoughts and feelings and concerns to the wider campus community. Comprised primarily of columns and Letters to the Editor, the Opinions section is often at the center of debate on campus; every Thursday, students pick up The Miscellany to read what their peers have to say about pertinent issues on and off campus—column topics can range from the Vassar meal plan, to Sarah Palin, to academic requirements, to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Letters to the Editor typically come from members of the Vassar community wishing to respond to another letter or to an article or column published by The Miscellany in the preceding week.

Columns—of which most of the Opinions section is composed—are written by students holding one of the three following positions:

Guest Columnist >>

Students new to the Opinions section typically start as Guest Columnists, writing columns (from around 500 to 800 words) on a topic of their choice. Guest Columnists are not considered members of the staff and therefore are not obligated to write for the section or attend Sunday Paper Critique meetings.

Columnist >>

After having written for one or more times over the course of the year, a Guest Columnist may apply to become a Columnist, an official member of the Miscellany staff. Columnists are not required to write weekly—nor do they have their own themed "column." They are, however—as with other staff positions—expected to contribute to the paper frequently, writing a column on whatever topic they like, and to come to weekly Paper Critique with the rest of the staff.

Senior Columnist >>

After having written three columns for The Miscellany, Columnists may apply for the position of Senior Columnists, staff members who have their own column and focused column topic—for example, a Senior Columnists may have a column focusing on issues related exclusively to the VSA, conservative thought on campus or the wider New York area. Senior Columnists are expected to maintain a weekly or bi-weekly column, depending on their preference, and to attend weekly Paper Critique with the rest of the staff.

To read columns published recently in The Miscellany News, please click on the links listed below.

• Yearlong basic drawing requirement is unproductive and limiting
• Participation in VSA does not end with voting
• Letter to the Editor | 9/11 conspiracy theories are based in deception, false information

2010-11 Opinions Staff:

Opinions Editor: Hannah Blume

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