While each campus publication has its own perspective and prism through which it views the world, each attempts, in some manner, to discuss present issues in ways that are digestible and relevant to the student body.
And thus I think it important to clarify the focus of the Observer article that Duncan Pickard referred to in his Dec. 7 op-ed, "On campus: Why we should lose our national focus." The article, entitled "Mind the Gap: The Future of Healthcare in America," attempts to address the issues of health care and health care reform from the perspective of young adults, and can be accessed at tuftsobserver.org.
The article opens by immediately linking its theme to Jumbos, saying, "As Tufts students prepare for graduation, they have a lot of things on their minds. Most of the time, they're not overly concerned that they could become uninsured unexpectedly. However, more and more young adults are slipping through the cracks of this country's health care system as they try to find their footing in the midst of transition." The article continues on to clarify the state of young adults' current health care coverage and why reform is vital for both their own and the nation's well-being.
So how does this not tie into campus life? And, even if it does not, rather opting to address the larger issue of health care reform in America, why would that be objectionable?
Recommending that campus publications shorten their sight-line is exactly the opposite of what we need right now. Asking, "How can any article on as broad a topic as health care make a significant contribution in three pages?" is the kind of fatalist attitude that contributes to inaction in the first place. I would hope that Pickard, as former Tufts Community Union president, would encourage Jumbos to engage with rather than retract from the wider world.
Articles in campus publications aren't meant to be authoritative voices on issues, but rather are meant to spark debate among the student body. Of course you can't solve the health care issue in three pages. It's unlikely that the U.S. Senate will solve the problem with its 2,074-page proposed bill! But you can begin conversations.
And right now, we need more of those than ever. Monday was the first day of climate change talks in Copenhagen. The aforementioned health care bill is currently sitting in the Senate, waiting for action. President Obama just called for an increase in troop levels in Afghanistan. And that's just the beginning. If these issues don't directly impact our lives as Tufts students and as — forgive the trite phrasing — human beings, then I don't know what does. And that is exactly what we need to be writing about.
As photo editor of the Observer, I completely understand that this may be viewed as a biased response. But I hope that this comment goes beyond the singular issue of the Observer's health care article to the broader issue Pickard addresses in his op-ed.
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Elizabeth Herman is a senior majoring in economics and political science. She is the photography editor of the Tufts Observer.
