The Daily Cougar has been flooded with complaints about some of the columnists on staff. I call three letters a flood, given reader indifference. Let me address the readers who were so irked by choice of topics and by a "disagreement" between Kevin Pennell and myself.
For those of you who couldn't tell, it was supposed to be a joke. I don't know if we should be proud or disturbed by how many people fell for it. I harbor no ill will toward Kevin or vice versa. If we did hate each other, we would be professional enough about it to keep it out of the paper. In fact, we spent spring break in a wonderful little bungalow in Tahiti where we sipped rum and spoke about marriage.
Other recent letters have attacked the columnists for our choice of topics, calling us "kiddy journalists." I know you are, but what am I? I am not a journalist. I have never been assigned a story to report. I am not taking, nor have I ever taken a journalism class. I do not aspire to become a journalist.
The kiddy journalism refers to many of the columnists choosing to write about "light" issues. Just because we don't write about scandals, politics or world affairs doesn't mean we don't care about them. Personally, it's because the Chronicle is so full of them that I choose not to write about real issues. If you want to read about the president's escapades, spend 50 cents. You don't dictate what I choose to write. If you disagree with an opinion expressed in the column, that's great. Columnists love it when you disagree. At least you care. But choice of topics is none of your concern.
The editor also gets criticized for the opinions expressed on the op-ed page. In case you haven't noticed, there's a gray box that says ideas of the columnists and cartoonists are theirs alone. Ingrid is not responsible for content.
If you disagree so strongly with anything appearing in these pages, there's an open invitation that's been there since the first of the semester. You can be part of the editorial staff for two weeks. I suppose there are always people who only talk a good fight.
For those of you who fell for the columnist/cartoonist feud, shame on you. You're Cougars, not Aggies. For some reason, I thought college students would be able to discern fact versus fiction. Here's a clue: If it seems so ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be true, and if it ends in a columnist actually thinking he can do a week's worth of comic strips, then go ahead and assume it's probably a joke. Not thinking it's funny is one thing, but not getting the joke is almost Cachola-like.
April Fool's Day is just around the corner. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
De La Garza is a junior
political science major.