The Opinion section of The Waltonian has been around since the beginning of the paper, but it wasn’t always referred to as the Opinion section. Originally, The Waltonian was referred to as “The Spotlight” and had a section called “Light Chatter.” This section is the start of what would later become our Opinion section.
In “Light Chatter,” they discussed gossip about student activity on campus, mainly revolving around dating and who was getting married. They encouraged students to submit anything they had heard and wanted to be shared.
It might not appear to be an opinion-based column, but a gossip column is virtually a messier version of opinions. Students had space to discuss things that had been overheard or shared and provide their own opinions on those situations. It focused less on large issues and instead on general, day-to-day drama.
Over time, the Opinion section evolved from a gossip column into something more like our section today. Now, the Opinion section focuses on some larger issues affecting us today. This has recently included hot topics such as changing AI policies and mental health struggles.
When The Waltonian was first created, these topics either had not yet surfaced or weren’t talked about as much as they are today. AI did not exist in the way it does today. For example, it is so commonly used among students that even some professors have begun using it during class.
Mental health was very stigmatized back then, but now it is becoming a bigger conversation and a more open issue. These aren’t the only changes over the years, but they are some of the most visible.
It is important to remember how essential this section is to the paper as a whole. The Opinion section is important for many different reasons, but the biggest of them is the freedom of speech it encourages students to exercise. Having this section allows students to voice their own opinions on both serious and fun topics.
The Waltonian has other sections, but they all focus on unbiased reporting. While direct reporting is important, it does not allow for as much freedom of speech in terms of feelings and impact on an average person’s life. The Opinion section is what gives students the ability to discuss issues that are important to them and share their own experiences.
Students don’t often have a way to publicly express how they feel about what’s going on in their campus lives, and the Opinion section gives them this opportunity.
Overall, the Opinion section has evolved greatly from a gossip column to a bigger platform for students to express their own feelings on large campus issues as well as fun conversations.
