Written by Sarah Kyle
As I’m sitting here in my beaten-down recliner, trying to tune out my overly loud neighbors (who seem to be arguing and tap dancing at the same time), I find myself wondering what in the world I should tell you.
It’s traditional in these columns for the new editor to share his or her dream or vision with the student body. But what do you really WANT to know? I mean, sure I could go on and on about the full color and redesign (hope you like it, by the way) and the nicer paper or the fonts we chose, but let’s be real: Few of you actually care about that.
Let me instead take this time to tell you about the new Bison.
In hashing this column out, I went through several different ideas (including my own rendition of the “I Have a Dream” speech), but I’m the kind of girl who would much rather just tell it like it is.
In a nutshell? I want this paper to be your voice, not my own. It can be tempting when you are the editor of a newspaper just to infuse it with the stories you want told or the views that you want shared. Giving into that temptation would be a tragedy.
You see, the stories we tell, the pictures we take, they aren’t about the Bison newspaper staff or how I see the world. This paper is about you.
Every piece of this publication should be a snapshot of your diversity and heart. This student body has the power to change the world: How could I NOT want that shown?
In my years at Harding, I have seen you as a student body help a little girl get new lungs, clean up the devastation left by natural disasters and give thousands of people in Haiti a place to rest their heads.
You see, that’s one of the things I love most about being a reporter. Each day I get the opportunity to step into someone else’s shoes. By writing about your life, I get to see a world that isn’t necessarily my own.
It’s with this in mind that I have made the decision to break with Bison editor tradition and not write a column every week. You see, I could wrack my brain and listen to my neighbors tap dancing (if only that would go away with this decision!) to find something meaningful and entertaining to share with you every week, but I think this space will be much more valuable if it gives one of you the opportunity to share your story.
That being said, I truly hope that you benefit from the hours we put into this newspaper. If you have ideas, questions or just want to chat, don’t be afraid to send us a note or pop in and say hey.
After all, how can we be your voice if we’ve never heard it?
Sarah Kyle serves as the editor-in-chief for the 2010-2011 Bison. She may be contacted atskyle@harding.edu
