Many of today’s college students have grown up in households without a newspaper on the doorstep or kitchen table. That’s just reality now. News has been something you scroll past on your phone, not on a newsprint in your hands. For many students, a student newspaper may feel like something from a bygone era. But here’s the truth: a student newspaper is still one of the most important spaces on campus for sharing stories, debating ideas and making sure student voices are heard.
The Tangerine serves many roles. First, it’s a training ground for journalists—serving as a chronicle of life at Utica University by covering campus events, student government, academic issues and the people who make up the university community. We aim to report accurately and fairly, so you know what’s happening here. Second, we’re a forum for dialogue. That means we don’t just publish stories—we publish your opinions, questions, criticisms and praise, too.
So how do you make your voice part of the conversation?
- Letters to the Editor: If something in our coverage made you think or want to respond, write us a letter. Letters are usually brief (about 150–250 words) and respond directly to something we’ve published or a current campus issue. They’re a chance to say, “Here’s another side of the story,” “I agree or disagree” or anything that’s on your mind about the issue. Letters to the Editor will be published as long as they are written in good taste and address a specific issue, not personalities. Avoid personal attacks or name-calling. It’s best to stick to one main point rather than covering multiple topics and the tone should be direct, civil and concise.
- Opinion Pieces: If you want to go deeper—maybe you have an idea for improving something on campus, thoughts on how the administration is handling a policy or any reflections on campus life—you can submit an op-ed. These are longer (around 500 words) and give space to build an argument or share a perspective. Use facts, logic and personal experience to support your argument, avoid inflammatory language, acknowledge opposing viewpoints while disagreeing and write in a way that invites discussion.
Email your letter or op-ed to [email protected]. Both pieces must include your full name and connection to the campus (student, faculty, staff, alum), and we’ll follow up. We edit for clarity, accuracy and length, but your voice is what matters most.
We’re here to inform, but also to listen. We can’t do our job without the campus community speaking up.
We recently received negative feedback on our coverage of Charlie Kirk’s death in the Sept. 19 issue. We recognize that we should have included more diverse voices in the piece and have revised that story for this issue. Black voices should have been included and we regret that error. Also, our response to the Black Student Union video mentioned that we would be covering Trey Reed’s death in the next issue. Using editorial judgement, we decided that it would be best to not cover the story at this time because his death was ruled a suicide and there would not be much more to report on weeks after his death. We recognize that it is an important story and if more information is released on the case, a report will be written. In no way do we want to ignore the death of Reed, however, as a small campus newspaper, there is not much more for us to add to the story.
The Tangerine is written and edited by Utica University students and they are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content. The Tangerine’s Editor-in-Chief makes all final editorial decisions for the newspaper and website by using ethical news judgment and those are often hard calls to make, especially when we are so understaffed. However, we are here to inform and to listen. Contact us to make your voice heard.
– Tangerine Editorial Board
