“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.” -… “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.” – Proverbs 18:2

Now through Tuesday, The Pitt News will be accepting columnist applications. In an effort to be always changing, growing and never stagnant, the section selects a new group of writers at the beginning of each semester. This process provides readers with refreshing new views, opens the door to eager new talent and allows exhausted veteran writers to make a quiet escape.

While former writers are invited to reapply – and many will – there are sure to be fresh – though not necessarily flattering – mug shots dotting our pages in the coming months. Perhaps one will belong to you.

In preparation for selecting a new staff, I’ve had some time to consider what kind of writers I would like to see in the starting lineup versus those that would do well on the bench or in the stands.

On the most fundamental level, I am not partial to any ideology or view. It’s not even important to me that a writer takes an unwavering political stance. The single most important characteristic that a columnist can have – in addition to being a skilled writer – is commitment. Each member of the staff will be required to write somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 columns over the course of the semester. The weekly deadline is not always convenient, especially when it comes on top of piles of schoolwork and a job. But it demands priority, and it is not difficult to tell if a column has taken a backseat to other matters. In short, if you are too busy to write well, you are too busy to write at all.

But assuming you are ready and willing to devote your attention to presenting a detailed opinion on a weekly basis, there are other issues to consider. What is your angle? A writer gains an audience and a reputation through consistency, whether he or she is consistently left or right, serious or funny, good or bad. The ideal staff comes with diversity – of ideas, backgrounds, culture, views and approach. Ideally, the voices of our columnists will not only represent views from all over the spectrum of Pitt students, but do so consistently and eloquently.

There is such a thing as too much political writing or too much fluff. We will happily accept both, hopefully reaching a healthy balance somewhere in between. Humorous does not mean mindless and political does not mean pompous. I am interested in receiving applications from creative individuals who are interested in writing clever, well-researched columns that are more concerned with reaching an understanding than catering to an ego.

The opinions section of every newspaper is intended to act as an open forum. There is a dialogue between columns and letters to the editor, and in our case, Internet feedback. The problem with this forum is that it frequently loses focus. The pen certainly is mightier than the sword, but more often than not, the two become simply synonymous. The potential to change minds through intelligence and tact becomes a petty weapon to knick and stab opponents. In other words, the noble sword becomes more of a Swiss Army Knife (Secretarial edition).

I am no Utopian, and by no stretch of the imagination do I believe that the in-coming class of columnists will be able to convert each and every ego-driven debate from a fistfight to a thoughtful conversation. Nor do I believe that impassioned discussions should be toned down and flattened for the sake of politeness. But the ideal is simple – to give intelligent discussion the integrity and diligence it deserves, and maybe reach a consensus on some social problems along the way.

I want to make the opinions section as well as it can possibly be this semester. I have no delusions of grandeur or silly idealism. Given the right people, it’s a perfectly attainable goal. If you’re interested in being a part of it, grab the application at The Pitt News editorial office on the fourth floor of the William Pitt Union or download it from www.pittnews.com.

Eric Miller is the opinions editor at The Pitt News. He finds pleasure in understanding.