This column was submitted by Ian Kelly

After skimming through the recent edition of Campanile, I began to realize that our school’s newspaper lacks diversity. And no, I wasn’t referring to ethnic diversity – I’m talking about political diversity.

The Campanile is a fine paper. It’s well-organized, well-written, and extensive. Yet the problem with Campanile isn’t the lack of issues it covers, but its slanted views on these issues. Although its news reporting is commendable and unbiased, the Campanile‘s op-ed page is immersed with liberal views that consistently fail to publish any opinions from the other side of the political spectrum.

When I read a paper, I want to be enriched with columns that argue against one another or are conducive to debate, not ones that bully on one political perspective. Even as a self-declared liberal, I find myself getting tired of the consistently one-sided opinions the Campanile editors lump out each month. The purpose of the op-ed page is to incite discussion and debate, not to set an editorial political policy. Therefore, it is vital that Campanile alter its currently biased op-ed policy.

The recent editions of The Campanile exemplify yet again why it’s op-ed section is becoming increasingly predictable and un-interesting. In its April 16 edition, the op-ed page’s two most prominent articles both took liberal points of view, the norm for the Campanile. The first column argued for furthering free speech in a case of student expression, a reasonable cause yet without a counter-argument or opposing column from the conservative end. The second column, which argued for the complete and total legalization of drugs (yes, that was a column) was almost as absurd as the fairness of the op-ed page itself. Certainly Paly tends to lean to the left, but even so it is the duty of a newspaper to have an opinion page – where objectivity is not required – that represents a variety of views and arguments, not just a select few.

The major problem that one-sided articles creates is predictability. I want fresh and different opinions from a news organization, not stale, dry and predictable ones. For example, in the past year, Campanile columns have swayed remarkably to the left, advocating ideas that are overwhelmingly anti-Bush, anti-Christian, anti-Security, anti-alcohol policing, anti-administration and all the rest of the typical liberal standpoints. And when it comes to limiting abortion, banning cell phone use in vehicles, or allowing sex offenders freedom near parks and schools, you know which side Campanile columnists will take without even seeing it. Liberal columns are fine, but where’s the ‘fair and balanced’ aspect of The Campanile? We all assail Fox News for its conservatively-slanted reporting, but can’t it be said that The Campanile is to liberalism what Fox News is to conservatism?

I hope that The Campanile adds more political diversity to its op-ed pages, both to make it a better journalistic organization and to enliven my reading my experience. I am hopeful that the next time I read a Campanile column, I wont be able to predict the argument merely by knowing the subject of discussion.