DIVERSITY has, in my time at the University, been a hot-button issue frequently associated with unpleasant events perpetrated by one student on another. We don't often think of it applying to an impersonal object, but diversity can apply here as well. This month we have seen a new and exciting diversification of publications around Grounds with the addition of the Virginia Sentinel, a new student-run "newspaper" seeking to provide "intelligent, fair, and innovative news media in the interest of fostering informed public debate." In part a response to The Cavalier Daily, the Sentinel claims as one of its goals the desire to cover topics of interest to students and staff beyond those "traditionally covered by the school's newspaper."
Though I take a little umbrage at the idea of The Cavalier Daily as the "school's newspaper" -- in no way do I consider what I write to be the intellectual property of the University, nor am I as a writer in any way a tool of the University. I welcome the Sentinel. In appraising it for this article, I found it balanced and informative. According to Sentinel Editor-in-chief Grayson Lambert, the Sentinel is actively soliciting viewpoints from a broad spectrum of sources, and it takes an approach to the news that distinguishes it from this publication. The Sentinel procures articles from various publications that pertain to the University or University students and provides links to them on its Web site.
While it differs from The Cavalier Daily in that students do not write all of the University-related news articles, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The Sentinel can and hopefully will provide a service to the University by upholding its stated goal of collecting University-related news. This can let us know what is going on beyond what The Cavalier Daily can report in limited space and what the University reports in its own press releases and e-mails. The Sentinel can help keep the student body abreast of a wider variety of news.
One of the ways students at the Sentinel can express themselves is through either writing an opinion column or by posting a response on the Sentinel's blog. Both are good things. The more opinions publicly expressed and made available for discussion, the better. With more people expressing their ideas and personal views in a legitimated public forum, the student body as a whole (or, at least, those who choose to avail themselves of the opportunity to weigh multiple opinions and invest time in thinking through issues) will benefit from an expanded crucible from which ideas and arguments ought to emerge more highly refined. The more voices involved in rational discussion and debate, the higher the heat of the metaphorical crucible, and therefore the more highly refined the ideas.
Yet another reason for the Sentinel to exist and flourish is the lack of a second true news source on Grounds. Let's be honest: Most of the other news or current events publications on Grounds have distinct flaws. Some are intentionally alternative to the point where news comes in only as a joke or a brief blurb. Others have outspoken political affiliations that render them without any legitimacy in the eyes of most readers. If the Sentinel can truly provide "fair" news from a "balanced perspective," as it states among its goals, then it will be able to leave a positive impact on Grounds.
In a world of non-business-related journalism, we have nothing to fear from the existence of other publications. In no way should the Sentinel be viewed as a rival of The Cavalier Daily. The Sentinel's Grayson Lambert explicitly stated in an interview that in no way should the the two be considered competitors. According to Lambert, the need for the Sentinel stems from the fact that one news outlet simply cannot encompass all the news that is pertinent to the University community, especially in a paper run by student volunteers. The Cavalier Daily can continue to function as it does, and the Sentinel can provide either coverage of what it does not, or alternative coverage on a popular story.
I, for one, am excited to see another group of students taking note of and evaluating the news at local, state, national and global levels, and cannot wait to reap the fruit of the labors.
Robby Colby's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at rcolby@cavalierdaily.com.
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