Hands up...

Here are seven suggestions for improving The Chronicle. Some are directed at readers, some at editors, others at columnists. I certainly have not exemplified these suggestions myself, but I think they will lead to a better paper.

1. Take a stand. Columnists often take heat for being sensational and trying to stir up controversy. And while there’s obviously something to be said for level-headedness, a columnist with nothing to say wastes everyone’s time.

Every Duke student is opinionated, and few desire a ‘voice of reason’ who has it all figured out. A column is not the place to discuss your life and how cool you are, nor is it the place to brag about being moderate or independent-thinking. Instead, it’s a place to expose others to a point of view. Decide what you can contribute and contribute it.

1. Stick to Duke. I haven’t done a good job of this, but I think a column is most interesting when it is specific to campus. Those who want analysis of international and national issues have hundreds of publications available to them; those who want analysis of Duke issues have one. The Chronicle can be an amateur political journal or an outstanding college newspaper. If you favor the latter, only write a non-Duke column when you’re out of ideas.

2. Letters! With over 6,000 diverse, opinionated undergraduates on campus, “Letters to the Editor” should be the most awaited, most read, most interesting section of the paper. If a column makes you mad, write a letter about it. If you have a good idea, write a letter about it. And editors, if you get letters, then print them. As long as the writer has a take and expresses it somewhat coherently, everyone will be better off for having heard it, and The Chronicle will truly be a forum. Nationally syndicated writers should only appear on these pages if a columnist doesn’t send a column in.

3. Shorter is better. The best move this year’s Editorial Page Editor Tracy Reinker made was shortening column lengths. Two years ago, columns were 1,000 or 750 words. Last year, they were 850 words. This year, Tracy said they had to be 700 or fewer. That’s long enough, especially since most people read these on the bus or before class. And please don’t use big words. Make Strunk and White proud.

4. Inform the reader. The best columns are those where readers learn something new while reading them. In some cases this means a new position or argument, but it also means a columnist should dig for information and then present it. Chronicle reporters tend to write a lot of fluffy summaries of events held the day before, and so this is especially important. If you are a columnist, don’t just read The Chronicle every day and then develop a position when it comes time to write your column. Find something out.

5. SEABASS Forever. Some of you know I was a contributor to this semester’s “Monday, Monday” column. And while I cannot offer an objective opinion about Tommy Seabass’s comedic skills, I have heard from a lot of people who enjoyed reading him prior to his dismissal.

For all his flaws, Seabass was just the kind of character “Monday, Monday” should feature: an edgy, obnoxious, feather-ruffling nuisance who makes fun of everybody he can. It should be a column everyone feels obligated to read, and The Chronicle should never let a handful of students and alumni who cannot laugh at themselves define offensiveness.

1. Deal with it. Let’s face it: this is a reasonably good newspaper. Sure, the reporting is biased and the editors don’t always exercise good judgment, but what do you really want from a free paper put out daily by college students with classes and activities like everyone else?

Usually, The Chronicle provides solid coverage of campus events, a good sports section and a professional layout—all with few errors. It’s easy to carry, it shows up each day on a searchable website and it has a crossword puzzle. It’s understandable that readers will be upset with some of the articles and editorials, and there are certainly instances when firestorms are merited. But let’s always try to improve the paper, not put it out of business.

Nathan Carleton is a Trinity senior.