Referees and columnists share one thing in common — they’re always pissing someone off. At least referees get paid. In all seriousness, I’d do it for free if I had to. (I have to.) Like any columnist, some content makes me cringe after it’s published — I wish I could revise or rephrase — but there it lies like burnt toast: just have to live with it. And those are the better ones. They say we’re our own worst critics, and trust me, that’s saying something.
Throughout the academic year, I’ve made a concerted effort to focus on campus issues. Writers much better than I are readily available on newsstands across the District, and most people don’t read The Eagle for national/international stories anyhow.
Some of my columns were relatively uncontroversial, while others elicited a backlash that ruffled feathers all the way to the Editor-in-Chief. (Thanks for having my back, Charlie.) Folks who composed letters to the editor challenging my opinions, I applaud. Thanks for your effort and engagement in the issue. Surprisingly, I have befriended a few of these people who might have initially believed I breathed fire or snacked on small children. It’s amazing how far a kind human interaction can go in assuaging anger or misunderstandings.
Like most of you, I’m a struggling student, preoccupied with meetings, deadlines, projects, papers and internships. It’s been a challenge to compose weekly columns worthy of publication, and it’s one I’ve embraced and taken seriously. I make no claim to hold all the answers nor perfect writing skills. Both are works in progress. I earnestly aim to remain malleable and open to dissenting perspectives. Some of my viewpoints you may interpret as extreme, although I don’t force controversy. Nothing that I’ve written I disagree with. As my published Eagle Rant can attest: Believe it or not, this school is too conservative for me. Perhaps I’m not liberal as much as iconoclastic and idealistic.
The unpleasant byproducts all columnists weather are the personal assaults and assumptions about our character. It’s the nature of the beast, and I don’t take the attacks to heart. I have and will criticize institutions, cultures and opinions, but I refuse to invoke personal attacks. We don’t have to respect each other’s opinions, but we can always respect one another.
This summer I’ll be working for the Department of Defense. You read right, a pacifist working for the military. I accepted the offer after much deliberation. I am looking to gain uncharted experience and a broader perspective when criticizing the military and its appendages. Perhaps those who question my credibility will note my attempt to not only see both sides, but live both sides.
Ideally, I will return to write for The Eagle next year. This is not a farewell column so much as my gratitude for your continued readership. My goal has always been to inform, entertain and challenge. Where I have failed, I hope to improve with more practice. A lot of hard work goes into creating this paper before it hits newsstands (and I thank my editors and those behind the scenes working production). While it has much room for improvement (more rants, we know), I promise to continue doing my best to provide quality commentary you find worthwhile. Thanks for reading The Eagle, have a wonderful summer. Until next year.
Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service and a liberal columnist.
