TO THE EDITOR:
As a former editorial board member, I was taken aback by the recent "The Institute of Politics is more than just a 'resume booster." The piece is fluff, little more than an advertisement.
The purpose of the editorial board is to criticize, to attack the fundamental structures of the university that marginalize and oppress. The edit board has decided to ignore the various crises plaguing the University in favor of patting scholarship kids on the back. The edit board ought be no one's friend. It must punch with the weight of the paper. It must be gutsy and risky.
When I penned the infamous "White Men Need Safe Spaces," I wanted to offend in order to start a conversation about the violence of specific forms of white masculinity.
I don't care if Phillips Hall is spooky. We don't need to underscore the importance of discourse or conscientious speech for the millionth time.
We need you all to be outraged at how white supremacy defines our university, how the state is destroying UNC's intellectual community, how corporations dictate the direction of the university and how the sexual assault epidemic is brushed under the rug to avoid offending the sensibilities of wealthy alumni.
We need you all to be bold and controversial, to start conversations and arguments. As first years find their way through the University, you should be the ones ensuring their arguing about a controversial editorial in Lenoir as opposed to boringly asking each other about majors.
David Farrow
Class of '17
