Letter from the editor: Submit an op-ed to enable discussion, debate on topics relevant to our community

Dear beloved reader,

Yes, the beginning of the school year is right around the corner.

No, this collective fever dream that began in March is not over yet.

Let me be frank for a minute. Most of us have been through hell and back at some point throughout this year. The sky outside in Westwood is a bleak, dystopian orange as I write this. Decades of news, events and moments have slid their way into these past nine months. I don’t have to run through the list; we all lived it.

And the biggest, most important event pertaining to this country’s future is right around the corner.

Like it or not, we are living through an intensely crucial moment in our country’s history. Now would be the absolute worst time possible to remain silent about the litany of issues that directly affect our Westwood and UCLA communities, our state of California and this nation at large.

That’s why Daily Bruin Opinion is here.

We’re going to be loud about the issues we care about, and that we think affect our readers. We’re going to let you know why we think a certain way about a topic and we’re going to try our best to explain ourselves to you. Yes, we’re going to be critical and we might come off harsh at times, but it’s because we always want things to be in a better place than they currently are. That means holding certain people and institutions accountable at times, which comes from a place of care and personal investment in such topics.

Besides, we simply wouldn’t be effective if we played things passive.

And you, the reader, will always have the right to agree or disagree with us.

Because ultimately, that’s what we, along with every other opinion section of every other newspaper in the world, are here for. Arguments lead to discussions, discussions lead to new ideas and new ideas can foster tangible change – the domino effect roars on.

We don’t live in a static world. There’s always something happening, something new going on. Thus, this conversation between us and the UCLA community needs to be a continuous one.

This is where we invite you to step in.

Sure, the instant gratification of leaving a snarky, overly critical comment under our content or social media posts is always welcomed. But consider sending us a letter to the editor if you feel a certain way about a column, or if you disagree with the stance the editorial board took on something. And if you think a topic that could be relevant to the UCLA community hasn’t been covered thoroughly, submit an op-ed to us at this link.

As student journalists, we’re merely a fragment of this overall social equation. These stories would be impossible to tell if we just sat around among ourselves all day. Plus, it’s evident now more than ever that this moment warrants these much-needed discussions.

We’ll be over here doing our part, there’s no doubt about that.

But now we encourage you to do yours.

Wear a mask please,

EJ Panaligan

Daily Bruin Opinion editor