The soapbox is the proverbial platform for speaking one’s mind unashamedly, contributing to public discourse without reservation or hesitation. These days, the soapbox is a sort of relic of the past. A person who is said to be standing on a soapbox is cast as a ranter, someone who makes a lot of noise without a lot of substance.
We’re asking why that has to be. My fellow editors and I highly value those in our campus community who are unafraid and unashamed to say what’s on their mind. As journalists, we believe if no one says anything when there is a problem, or when something crucial is going unsaid, nothing will change. That’s why we love receiving letters to the editor. They give us a different perspective and raise points we would not have otherwise thought of.
We found the letters we get, though, are longer than those typically published in newspapers. People who feel moved to respond to something in The Transcript’s pages have more to say than a couple hundred words can contain. Those who write to us, faculty and students alike, aren’t afraid to stand on the proverbial soapbox.
Now we’re bringing you a Soapbox of our own, and claiming it as a great place to be.
Soapbox takes the Opinion page and letters to the editor up a notch. Here you’ll find longer, essay-type op-ed pieces by Ohio Wesleyan’s most passionate people. They issues about which they write touch our campus, our city, our state, our nation, our world. The authors and their writing take big issues head on, putting their thoughts and feelings into the context of our community. And our Soabox’s digital platform brings that relic of the past into the 21st century, allowing everyone to engage with the pieces on social media and on our website.
The Soapbox is here, and it’s ready for anyone to stand on it. If you want to contribute to Soapbox, simply email an article on a topic of your choice between 600 and 900 words to owunews@owu.edu and one of our editors will respond.
Welcome to Soapbox. We hope you’re as excited as we are.
This article was updated Nov. 5, 2014, 11:29 a.m.