Hello my fellow Manhattan High students. As you know, it is a new school year, with new classes, some new voices and, as always, new ideas to share. This is why I write you today.

In our society, especially with our advances in technology, communication has never been so easy or so necessary to basic life. This makes it vitally important for everyone, including you, to not only pay attention to the news of today’s world, but establish a voice of your own on major world topics.

This doesn’t mean start yelling from the rooftops wild profanities of various sorts defending this cause or that, but simply be an informed citizen, enjoy and engage in healthy, informed debate. Be someone who can intelligently defend a topic with eloquence; be someone with respect for all opinions without disregarding your own. Be someone with a voice.

In the past, while The Mentor has always encouraged outside voices on our publication, I feel there hasn’t been much a response from the student body to take this opportunity to be heard. Maybe students did not wish to come forward with their ideas and opinions, or simply were uninformed on how to do so. But I’m here telling you, we want to hear your opinions too. This is your publication, don’t be afraid to use it.

I encourage you — all of you — to send in Letters to the Editor in which you state your opinion, make your voice heard. Whether you are contradicting another opinion or simply getting yours out there, we want to hear it.  

Email your column into [email protected] or come talk to our publications staff in C-107 at West campus for further information.

We can’t wait to hear from you all.