Toward the end of last semester, the College found itself embroiled in the sort of controversy that, left unchecked, takes on a life of its own. The Indicator's ill-advised and offensive portrayals of African-American stereotypes finally provoked a response from the Black Student Union (BSU). The open forum, held by the BSU in conjunction with the Indicator, later generated a level of discourse that we think is cheering. We were troubled, however, by the manner in which the broader discussion of the matter developed-chiefly, the congregation of student response in the Daily Jolt's forums.

We appreciate the forums for what they are: a place for public, often anonymous and varied commentary (and, of course, comedy). Thus what astounded us most about the discussions that took place in the forums was not the content-some of which was inexcusably insensitive-but the fervor that infused the debate. Many posts easily exceeded 700 words (the Student's suggested word count for an opinion article), and populated threads that were some of the longest this school year. In stark contrast, the Student received zero letters or opinion pieces on the issue. Our detractors may, of course, point to a lack of faith in the newspaper's editing process; yet our opinion pages are the least edited of any section.

It seems to us that the main reason for students preferring the Jolt forums is the option to remain anonymous. This, we think, is a part of a broader tendency among students here to engage in commentary without wanting to take responsibility for their opinions. If one has something serious and legitimate to say, something that may be said without reasonable fear of persecution, then surely traditional channels of discussion ought to be employed first. By this we mean a letter to the Indicator, for instance, or a piece submitted to our very own Opinion Editor.

Lest this editorial comes across as self-serving didacticism, we want to emphasize that the issue here is the responsibility that comes with free speech (not our desire to see more opinion pieces). This reluctance to be identified with an opinion is also evident in class discussions where students would often rather skirt around the issue than take sides.

A common defense of anonymity on the Jolt and the objection to standing out in the classroom is that, even in the absence of outright persecution, the excessively p.c. atmosphere pervading the College discourages attaching names to opinions. The intimate nature with which we live on this campus (i.e. everyone eats every meal in the same building) may have made students afraid to claim their opinions for fear of being stereotyped or permanently offending people we see every day.

As students we must utilize our capacity to think and share our thoughts. We also have the sensibility to gauge other people's feelings, but that should not force us behind a shroud of anonymity. Discussions have much more clout when participants are held accountable for what they say. We are educated beings and should recognize and respect the value of civil discourse. Claiming and expressing one's opinions is a fundamental right that we must exercise.