Columns Opinion

Welcome to the new Opinion Section: ‘Hit me with your best shot’

The opinion section has a rich history of publishing well-written and well-thought out columns that make you think and inform you. We will continue that rich tradition by offering hot takes and thought provoking argument. We not only want feedback, we encourage it. | Fiona Legesse/The Cougar

Welcome to the opinion section! To put it lightly, you’re now reading the redheaded stepchild of The Cougar.

News gives you the stories and highlights on the people that matter on this campus and in the Houston community. Sports gives you updates and insights on UH’s various athletic teams.

We give you hot takes by 20-somethings who have no real world experience and probably don’t know what they’re talking about.

I’ve always enjoyed reading the opinion section. The opinion section is like a UH football season — you never know what you’re going to get. Everyone has heard the statistics about UH’s demographics and how diverse those demographics are compared to other universities.

But what makes the opinion section so interesting is there’s always an opinion you don’t agree with or you’ve never heard before. And even if you have heard the opinions before or if the opinions are as mainstream as hipster-dom, the columns will be written well and will try to make a solid point for your sake.

The opinion section is its own conundrum. For a long time, the opinion section has been accused of shilling for one political side, not knowing the correct facts for whatever opinion is given and just being a bunch of oversensitive teenagers who are far too eager to jump to awkward and nonsensical conclusions. But each week you get a smattering of columns ranging in content from national politics to international politics.

So why should you care what we have to say? Well, in all honesty, I don’t have a definitive answer to this question. While I think you should read what these columnists have to say because I see their work and output, I can’t force you to read the opinion section.

All I can say is there are a lot of things that you should pay attention to.

This Monday, we published a column about going meatless for the sake of the environment. A few years ago, we published a military veteran’s thoughts on gun control using his overwhelming experience and insight; this column went on to win a national award — essentially the Pulitzer of collegiate journalism — from the prestigious Associated Collegiate Press.

And, for those of you who remember, the opinion section called the 2016 election. There is a lot that can happen in the opinion section, and a lot of it is special.

And from now on, this section is going to be different; there’s going to be more UH-centric content. Columns will tell stories about this campus, present you with new ideas and issues on the national and international stage and, most importantly, these columns will make you think.

We are here to engage you. Whether you think we’re right or demonstrably wrong, engage us. Let us know. So, post those comments on Facebook calling us shills and constantly reminding us that our ideas aren’t the same ideas you have. Send us the emails calling us whatever insults your vocabulary — which can be quite innovative at times — contains. Write your guest columns.

Even join the opinion section if you want to be a part of the “problem.” We will always appreciate it, no matter how much you disagree.

So, welcome to the opinion section. We hope you enjoy your stay and take some time to ingest the different opinions and hot takes given.

But hey, no matter what, we’re at least better than the Huffington Post’s opinion section. May it rest in peace.

Opinion Editor Jorden Smith is a political science and creative writing senior and can be reached at [email protected].

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