Too shallow, too serious, too sarcastic -- all are common criticisms of The Daily Universe readers' forum, yet it is one of the most important and frequently read sections of the newspaper.

And although many members of the BYU community might read the page for mere entertainment value, the forum provides much more than that. It is a safeguarded outlet for readers of our newspaper to have a voice, a channel for expression, a way to criticize what they view as unjust and unfair.

BYU is sometimes criticized for having a naïve and close-minded community, but this forum of expression is one important way the community can share its diversity of ideas.

On this high-profile soapbox, anyone is free to tell 30,000 people exactly how to act and what to believe. Writers can make rational, logical assertions, or they can present outlandish, one-sided arguments.

Regardless, the forum is a place where these voices can be expressed. Whether the issues presented seem sophomoric and trivial or world-changing and critical, we preserve the ideas so our readers can be heard in the marketplace of ideas.

The forum creates an essential entry into this marketplace -- a place where students make sense of the community in which they live. Only in this place can The Daily Universe staff, BYU students and the rest of the community gather in a meeting of minds to discuss the common issues that everyone deals with.

It doesn't matter whether anyone agrees or violently disagrees with the opinions expressed here. In fact, sometimes it's better if people disagree, because it makes them think and decide for themselves what they want to believe about each issue. What does matter is that there is a place where the community can exchange ideas.

In this final opinion page of the semester, NewsNet would therefore like to thank the members of the BYU community for helping to make this forum possible. Thank you for reading the opinion page and for making it a viable experience for our community. Thank you for writing letters, printed or not. Thank you for agreeing with the opinions expressed here. Thank you for disagreeing with them. Thank you for being patient with our shortcomings.

Thank you for helping make BYU the great university that it is.



Copyright Brigham Young University 12 Dec 2001