While flipping through your weekly edition of The North Wind, you may stop at the Opinion section and ask yourself, “what is it for?” Contrary to what some may believe, it is not just a place for people to rant and rave about a current topic of their choice. The Opinion section of any publication serves as a valuable resource to the staff and its readers in many ways.

— Staff Editorial —
This is used to portray the collective voice of the staff on an issue directly affecting Northern students. Each week we take a stance on an issue, and give a commentary where we see fit. On all other pages of the paper, we remain objective and keep advocacy out of our stories. The duty of a newspaper is to report the news, not take sides. But we are not only editors but students, and the editorial gives us a chance to exercise that role.

— Letters to the Editor —
We like to hear what you have to say, and give you a chance to tell us allowing you to send in letters via mail, email or our website. Not just students, but faculty and community members are also able to retaliate peacefully if you agree or disagree with what we say, or would like to speak out about something going on around campus. If you’re upset about something, or something goes well, let us know. We don’t print without names, and will always contact you for permission before the letter goes to press. You can find submission information on this page, or on our Web site, www.thenorthwindonline.com.

— Columns —
Overall, the opinion section is a place to exercise our First Amendment rights. The opinion editor writes a column every week, as well as guest columnists, other staff members and sometimes professors. This year it will also feature a bi-weekly special column from members from the NMU Political Review. We also like to extend an invitation
to students who want to make their voices heard. We are always looking for guest columnists and opinionated people to share with our readers. Interested writers should contact Sarah O’Neill at [email protected].

The opinion section and input from student readers are pivotal parts of The North Wind. We care about the issues that affect you directly, and most importantly about what you have to say. We encourage you to approach us this year with all letters, concerns and ideas you might have.