Dear Forum readers,

To our long-time readers, welcome back; to our new readers, welcome! It’s nice to meet you! With the return to campus this fall has come some new changes to the Forum section that we would like to share with you:

Previously, submissions from current or past students, professors, administrators or other members of the Washington University community were referred to as “op-eds.” Over time, we realized — as other publications have — that this outdated term doesn’t make clear what these articles really are: opinion articles submitted to us by non-staff community members. To correct this, moving forward, these articles will be called “opinion submissions.” We hope that this change will bring more clarity and encourage more submissions. To submit an opinion submission, email your written piece to [email protected]. If you feel strongly about something happening on campus or have an experience to share, opinion submissions are a great way to communicate your thoughts and opinions with the WashU community.

Our goal is to include as many perspectives as possible in Forum, from our campus community, students, alumni, faculty, staff and St. Louis residents alike. This semester, we are especially interested in professor/faculty columnists, so if you know a professor (or are yourself a professor) who would be interested in writing on a regular basis for the section, please reach out to us at [email protected]. 

Linked here is a feedback form which we will link at the end of each Forum article we publish. This form will serve as an opportunity for readers to respond to the articles we run and provide suggestions for future improvement in the section as a whole. Feel free to be candid: we’re open to change and ready to learn. 

Looking ahead toward the new semester, we are eager to publish opinion articles that provide a glimpse into the vibrant and varied perspectives of the WashU community. We thank you in advance for helping us make that a reality through your continued readership and engagement.

Best,

Reilly Brady

Senior Forum Editor

Jamila Dawkins

Senior Forum Editor