On board with the Editorial Board

Ever since 2006, when The Chronicle moved to make the Editorial Board into an independent section, members have relished being able to discuss and write on topics ranging from the never-ending tuition hikes to Kendrick Lamar. With the 93rd academic year now in full swing, the Editorial Board would like to take a break from our usual commentating to instead reflect upon and highlight some of our favorite editorials from the preceding year.

Early on last year, the onslaught of breaking news provided by the presidential election dominated editorial coverage. From analyzing whether the United States was entering a “post-truth” era in “Where lies the truth?” to endorsing Hillary Clinton in “Vote Clinton for president,” the board did not shy away from voicing political opinions throughout the electoral process. This editorial investment in the election eventually culminated in a collective disbelief with “An election to remember,” which was hurriedly and bewilderingly written once it became clear that Clinton was not going to emerge victorious. Nine months into his administration, Trump still occupies a fair deal of editorial coverage, as exemplified by a recent piece titled, “Trumping world peace.” Within the vast arena of last year’s news, some of our favorite editorials dealing with national headlines included a discussion on the March for Science protest in “Bill Nye the protest guy,” and a call for a more nuanced perspective on health care reform in “Rethinking healthcare.” 

As the Editorial Board consists of Duke students, a large number of editorials last year were also focused on the campus politics here within the Gothic Wonderland. Notable topics during the 2016-2017 year included the announcement of Vincent Price as Duke’s next president in “Ushering in the Price administration,” senior book-bagging in “A brave new bookbag,” and faculty diversity in “Professors who look like us.” Additionally, as usual, the Editorial Board took pleasure in thoughtfully commenting on perennially annual Duke-specific events like the always expected 4% tuition hike and DSG presidential elections.

In between intense, serious discussions on DSG reform and Trump, the Editorial Board always made time to take a break and poke fun at Duke through occasional joke editorials. Some highlights of the satirical pieces from last year include a sampling of the Editorial Board’s twitter account in “Make Duke great again!”, a detailed new budget plan for the university in “Moving Duke forward,” and a Valentine’s Day card to dedicated readers in “Love, the editorial board.” With Trump in the White House and global warming wreaking havoc on most parts of the United States, sometimes the best thing to do is simply make readers laugh from time to time.

Here on Editorial Board, it’s evident that we love to write about a diverse range of issues. If you want to be part of an institution that is able to discuss international relations and Beyonce’s new album all in the same meeting, then join the Editorial Board; we would love to have you on board! Email Sydney Roberts at srr30@duke.edu for more information and the application, and we look forward to reading what you have to offer.