THE BEST student columns are about local issues, events that are taking place close to home, not miles away. That statement was made a week ago in this column in reference to a student's comments about a national news event in which she used the word vagina 24 times. The author shared, in a professional manner, her displeasure with my comments. Columnists are, and should be, opinionated, and I respected her point of view.
But it didn't change the point or meaning of my statement. The best columns are generally about local issues, because, in most cases, the authors know more about what they are writing about if it is something they are a part of, or near, or have witnessed.
Apparently offensive to the columnist was this statement: Student columnists often make a habit of taking national issues and offering an individual perspective, sometimes uninformed.
It wasn't a personal attack, just a simple reality.
Column writing isn't easy. It takes hard work, dedication, commitment, originality and creativity, and not just having a perspective or the ability to pontificate on any and all subjects.
National issues, such as the Vagina Monologues and the aging debate about the use of the word vagina, are important topics, as are the global focus surrounding Friday's piece on infanticides in Germany. But parroting the latest facts reported by a news service or via a national media platform, and then making comment, doesn't a column make. I know this because in the hundreds of columns I have written in my journalistic career, I am one of many who from time to time have been guilty of such squawking.
Being selected to write a newspaper column doesn't come with a license to butcher or bore. All columns and columnists are not created equal. Some are simply better than others and the ones that stand-out hit people close to home. Here's an example:
Stress and depression are two subjects students must learn to face during their college years. Lindsay Huggins' column last Friday about dealing with depression was a solid effort.
"Whether it is the pressure of doing well in classes, making the right friends, or finding a good job, students often feel overwhelmed during their college years," she wrote.
Her column explained how a statewide bill will require colleges to develop a plan to help students who demonstrate self-destructive or suicidal tendencies. What made the topic interesting and come alive, was the connection she made with local people such as Sarah Lyons, president of Students for Mental Health Awareness, and Professor Pat Wilkie, along with specific references to what is happening at the university.
The same can be said for Sam Shirazi's column about the Charlottesville transit system. It was a strong effort about students and it included helpful information. It not only chided the city for missing an opportunity to improve the transit system, but it also made suggestions and recommendations. It was a column written with a purpose and reason. It had meaning.
Another recent column of substance was Stephen Parsley's Wednesday piece about the Lawn. It was clear from reading the column that Cavaliers young and old, from first-year students to full professors, treasure Grounds at the university, and what takes place on the Lawn. It was a good read with thoughtful and interesting comments.
Cavalier editors, however, need to continue to be vigilant with some columnists who take the easy way out and write about national issues
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