We would like to thank Eric Zorn for his column (Metro, May 21) highlighting the most recent attempt by Northwestern University’s student government to silence the Northwestern Chronicle, the campus’ only regularly published, independent newspaper.
Although Mr. Zorn candidly admits he disagrees with the Chronicle on various matters of public policy, he nevertheless recognizes the importance of free and open debate, particularly on a college campus. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of our university’s administration.
Lest it be overlooked, the Chronicle is written, produced and distributed by Northwestern students and has been since its inception six years ago. So we have the curious situation of a small group of Northwestern students, the Associated Student Government, acting with the tacit approval of the administration to proscribe the parameters of acceptable speech for the rest of the campus population.
From the start, our goal has been to fashion an informative, thought-provoking paper with features and viewpoints students are not exposed to elsewhere. But because we often row our boat in a different direction from the majority, the administration has repeatedly attempted to take our oars away.
We find this situation particularly distressing because university higher-ups often speak about Northwestern as a free marketplace of ideas yet turn around and act to facilitate a student-imposed orthodoxy.
Recently, Northwestern officials announced a $1 billion fundraising drive to bolster the university’s endowment. We would encourage all Northwestern University parents and alumni to keep a close eye on the fate of the Chronicle before opening up their checkbooks.
