Weekly answers to The Front's question of the week. Sign up here and receive a weekly question AND driven student journalism delivered to your inbox.
As of writing this, I’m about to graduate from Western Washington University, and as I look back on the last four years of learning — and beyond — I’m recognizing ways I’ve grown as a person both personally and academically. I set out to write this piece as an amendment of sorts to a guest opinion I wrote for this publication back in August of 2022. I’ve come to appreciate the bigger ways I’ve evolved, learned to appreciate this evolution by holding myself accountable, but also accepted my own limitations.
Weekly answers to The Front newsletter's question of the week. Sign up to receive a weekly question AND driven student journalism delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.
The assertion that Bellingham is an intolerant liberal echo chamber is made often, and it can be valid – but more realistically, many members of the Bellingham community feel that they cannot speak against social warriors. The silent majority of Western students are not committed to the brand of social justice that some Western students are selling.
Addressing the topic of sexual assault in an ethical and comprehensive manner requires diligence, empathy, sensitivity, courage and nuance. It is a difficult topic for anyone to write about. As a disclaimer, my perspective on the recent opinion piece is inevitably informed by my personal experience. I am fortunate: I have not experienced sexual assault.
Letter to the Editor
-Eric Trent, Journalism Student
My name is Lisa Nguyen and I am commenting on your recent article “Hmong Student Association Host Tea Party for a Scholarship.” First off I would like to say I absolutely love this fundraiser! Coming from a low-income family and being the oldest, college didn’t seem realistic to me. Who would pay for my college? My parents were already struggling to put food on the table. I knew I needed to apply to scholarships and work if I wanted to have a college education. I personally can say scholarships have helped me out immensely. It has made it possible for me to achieve higher education. I am the first in my family to attend college and I hope I am not the only one. Scholarships like these reach out to people who didn’t think they had a chance. College is expensive, that is no secret. But having scholarships like these can really make a difference since the financial burden of college can be stressful. As noted in the article, Hmong population in college is one of the lowest rates of higher education attainment among Asian population. It is important to acknowledge this because diversity and inclusivity plays a vital role in education. We cannot just exclude a group. If we see someone struggling we reach out and help them. This is why I love the ESC. They are doing great things to positively impact our community by teaching and by giving. I look forward to seeing what else in store for the future!
Submission from Blue Group member Alex Martinez
Your article "Cultural appropriation at Western and how it can be avoided" (Feb 7, 2018) has finally moved me to speaking out about an issue that has bothered me ever since I joined Western almost 13 years ago. It's the name of our newspaper, "The Western Front". As most people are aware, it's a crude play on the title of the anti-war novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" ("Im Westen nichts Neues" in the original German) by Erich Maria Remarque.
"ICE in their Veins," a poem by Inga Elvrom, American Cultural studies major
Letters to the editor are not the opinion of The Western Front. The Western Front is committed to publishing letters to the editor from the community, as long as they meet the paper's editorial standards. For more information on letters to the editor, or to submit a letter, contact westernfrontonline@gmail.com
Letters to the editor are not the opinion of The Western Front. The Western Front is committed to publishing letters to the editor from the community, as long as they meet the paper's editorial standards. For more information on letters to the editor, or to submit a letter, contact westernfrontonline@gmail.com
Solutions by The State News
