Letters to the Editor

August 30, 2006

Alumnus calls for involvement in campus media programs

Listen up, illiterati. Do you know what this is? This is a letter to the editor. People write them to newspapers when they have some sort of response to the paper’s coverage that they want to be published. Newspapers have an obligation to publish letters to the editor, as long as they conform to editorial standards.

So why did the La Salle population send the Collegian enough letters last year during my tenure as Commentary editor that I could count them on both hands? Is it because the paper’s coverage was completely agreeable and didn’t bother anyone? Definitely not. We published opinion pieces ranging from the politically conservative to the socially radical, and very rarely got any response.

Was it because the process of writing a letter to the editor is too overwrought that it’s not worth the effort? Hardly. Last year we accepted paper and e-mail submissions, and even began accepting them over AOL Instant Messenger, before stopping that since we got no submissions.

It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee, La Salle. If you don’t fight for your views now while you’re in college, you’re in for a sorry surprise when you hit the real world. If some columnist writes something that you disagree with, don’t let them have the final say. Get off your butt and write a response. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what you think, because it never leaves the confines of your noggin.

You may even be surprised at what happens. I wrote a Letter to the Editor my sophomore year at La Salle in response to a column the Collegian printed giving the now absent 20th Street protestors a free pass. At the time I had no aspirations to the field of journalism and had never been published in the Collegian before. Two years later, I was Commentary Editor.

This year’s Collegian staff is an amazing group, and I’ve had the privilege to work with many of them in the past. They’ll publish your letters to the editor, even if they’re in the form of Post-It notes stuck on their backs as they walk through Olney Hall.

So don’t be meek and mild. Be loud. Be boisterous, and let the whole world know it. Write letters to the editor. You’ll be glad you did.



Patrick Hogan
Class of ’06

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An open letter to La Salle students from the Student Government Association

As the school year begins, the SGA is starting new methods of working for and with the university community. Working with faculty and administration, our goal is to make this university a better social and academic community.

One of the most essential aspects of developing a well-informed community is effective communication. Past students have expressed concerns about their ability to voice their views to the SGA. One of my main tasks as Vice President for Public Affairs is to enable dialogue between all of the members of the La Salle family. Conversation, however, must be a two way street—as we inform you of our activities, please respond with your own concerns or events. I speak for all of SGA when I say that we are completely open to any suggestions, ideas, or complaints that you have in regard to how SGA is representing you. Our Senate meetings are open to any full-time undergraduate day student. We meet Tuesday nights at 9:15 pm in Union 301. Please feel free to attend one of our weekly meetings, and voice your ideas and concerns in person.

Another way you can notify SGA of your opinions is through the brand new SGA screen name on AIM. Feel free to write a message to LaSalleSGA where you will be able to speak to SGA members via the internet. The SGA will also be hosting a radio show on WEXP. The hour long show will be on-air every Thursday at 11 a.m. You will be able to call in and voice your concerns on air. For a list of SGA members, feel free to log onto www.lasalle.edu/sga or stop by our office in Union 119A.

I hope to see all of you around campus, and if SGA can help with any problem you’re having, contact us.



Jim Rossi
Vice President for Public Affairs
Student Government Association
rossij1@lasalle.edu