COLUMN: What's It Gonna Be, Boys?

From Gabriele Marcotti's "Land of the Stoopid," Fall '94 From Gabriele Marcotti's "Land of the Stoopid," Fall '94Page Six of The Daily Pennsylvanian is traditionally reserved for debate and opinion. Past editors have described it as "a battleground from which to spark debate, challenge the status quo, and provoke everything from anger to rapture." This page has been at the center of a lot of controversy over the past year -- issues were raised that ruffled more than a few feathers and brought the University into the national spotlight. I have no problem with being at the center of controversy. No issue is too touchy, no opinion is too offensive, no idea is too radical for Page Six. Incendiary is good. Complacent is bad. Only by promoting the free market of ideas and free expression can we really progress. Good. Now that the free speech/First Amendment bullshit is out of the way (I wouldn't be much of an Editorial Page Editor if I didn't include an ode to the First Amendment), there are three important caveats to recognize. First, while free speech is a fundamental right, this is an independent newspaper and we can do whatever we damn well please. We can take the First Amendment, or even the entire Bill of Rights if we really wanted to, and wipe our collective bottoms with it. That which empowers us, also allows us to ignore it completely. What a wonderful concept! Second, while everyone has the right to speak their mind, not everyone should. Or rather, they shouldn't do it on Page Six. People who spout venom or nonsense without providing any kind of logical support for their opinions should not be on this page. Likewise, those who hide behind the First Amendment and use it solely to offend, manipulate or insult, have no place on this page. Finally, Page Six can only function effectively if it represents a wide range of viewpoints. Our objective is to give a voice to everyone, as long as they are willing to stand behind what they believe and back it up with reason, not just emotion. But this does not mean that we have a quota system when it comes to letters to the editor or columnists. It's a very smug exercise in cynicism to go through the list of columnists and point out the gay one, the conservative one, the black one. At the same time, it is very easy to say we jumped on the diversity bandwagon by picking assorted freaks and weirdos. After all, one columnist is the football playing deadhead president of a Locust Walk fraternity. Another is a very "nice" Irish Philo type with a penchant for annoying major world religions. Yet another is an Eagle Scout preacher's son with more body piercing than orifices. What can I say, we prayed to the gods of diversity and writing skills and selected twelve columnists from a pool of over sixty applications? I can guarantee that not every single columnist will write a great column every two weeks. As a matter of fact, you'll probably find most columns less than superlative most of the time. That is the nature of editorial pages. What is crucial, however, is that the columnists reflect some aspect of the University or its students. Somebody once compared the DP, in its ideal state, to a mirror, reflecting the beautiful along with the nasty. Presumably, Page Six was part of this metaphor, echoing the thoughts and concerns of students. Sticking to this metaphor, I like to think of Page Six as more of a placid lake. You can see your reflection in it, but if something (say a stone, or a pebble or maybe a tidal wave) upsets the water, your features get all twisted and deformed. An editorial page is much the same way. As long as reason and thought dominate debate, it will be the home of high-brow intellectual discourse. But sometimes an event or individual can upset the balance, touch the right nerves, and things change quickly (remember last spring?). The halcyon forum becomes a free-for-all, potentially rife with nasty thoughts and personal attacks. What I would like to do is hand Page Six's fate over to you, the readers. Whether or not Page Six exists as a placid grazing ground for mundane thoughts or a violent battleground for passionate ideas is your call. In light of this I want to extend an invitation to all readers: if you have any complaints, comments or concerns regarding Page Six, you can call me any weekday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. (898-6585). I'm looking for as much feedback as possible, from everyone -- students, faculty, administrators, staff, etc. If you can read this, you can call me. Gabriele Marcotti is a junior Communications and International Relations major from Milano, Italy, and Editorial Page Editor of appears alternate Mondays.