The 150+ grueling days of quarantine have finally come to an end, and here we are, back on Taylor’s campus.
My name is Sam, senior Multimedia Journalism major. I’ve been with The Echo for three years, working in both opinions and news.
This year, I will be serving as the co-editor in chief for The Echo, as well as the opinions section editor.
Over the course of the last few months, it seems as though opinions have run rampant in society, whether that be regarding coronavirus and masks, the upcoming election, social justice movements or the possible end of our favorite app, Tik Tok.
With COVID lockdown keeping people inside for several months, socially distanced, opinions became more extreme as people argued over the only medium they had available to them — the internet.
In the opinions section of The Echo, we look to provide an avenue for individuals to voice their beliefs — and within the next few months, there will likely be many. But it is also an avenue for conversations as new ideas and opinions are shared with the masses.
No opinion should be taken for granted without proper dialogue to back it up. Opinions should be expressed for the benefits of both teaching and learning.
The Greek philosopher Epictetus famously said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
We live in a society where, all too often, we mistake “reproof” for “defeat.” This is a bit of a sick irony, as reproof is one of the key ingredients for success.
All in all, campus looks different than it did in 2019. And with that, there likely will be a plethora of new opinions sprouting from members of the Taylor community. Not to mention the 2020 election is less than three months away.
These new situations will likely spark high tensions at times, and may even strain relationships with friends.
But no opinion, political stance or social conviction should ever take the place of loving our neighbor. At college, we are encouraged to explore new ideas, listen to differing opinions and, as crazy as it sounds, sometimes even admit that we are wrong.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions. To contribute, send an email to sam_jones2@taylor.edu.
Let’s make this a great year.
