A User's Guide to the Opinion Page

Editor's Note:

The Daily Mirror of London has nude photographs on page 3. The New York Post has gossip on page six. And the Harvard Crimson has opinions on page 2. Sometimes, the distinctions among our staff opinions, signed editorials, letters to the editor, guest commentaries and editorial cartoons get blurred and people don't know who is being represented by the writing. As part of our efforts this fallto make the Opinion page more interactive with the community, we would like to explain our different facets and introduce a new feature. We hope that this clears up any confusion and makes this section of the newspaper easier to use and enjoy.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CRIMSON

The Crimson accepts letters to the editor on all aspects of our coverage. Corrections will be printed in a timely fashion. Letters should be as brief as possible, typed, double-spaced and signed. Please send letters to:

Editorial Chairs

The Harvard Crimson

14 Plympton Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

Staff Opinions

Like all news organizations, The Crimson takes positions on issues of importance to students in the Harvard community, the Cambridge community and in the nation. Our staff position reflects a majority opinion of those editors present at our weekly staff meetings which are open to all editors of the newspaper. The resulting editorials run on the left side of the page under our masthead on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Dissenting opions also run alongside the editorial and are signed by individual editors--this reflects only the opinion of the signers, and not that of The Crimson. All other signed editorials that appear on this page are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Crimson.

CARTOONS

Adam Lane's 'Drawn and Quartered' appears Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This and other occassional cartoons do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Crimson.

Guest Commentary

The Crimson solicits Guest Commentaries from members of the community who have a particular expertise in the area to be addressed--this includes group representatives, political leaders and activists among others. If you would like to submit a guest commentary, contact one of the editorial editors at 495-9666 or submit written text to The Crimson.

ROUNDTABLE

The editors would like to introduce a monthly feature to the opinion page that intends to open the editorial process up to a wider segment of the University population. The Roundtable will solicit comments on a particular topic--a kind of written version of 'Larry King Live' or 'Oprah.'

Submissions should be approximately 250 words (about 2 pages double-spaced). Selections will be made by the editors.

The Roundtable for September will be:

Why does a large percentage of the African-American population at Harvard live in the Quad? and is that a positive development?

Address responses to:

Roundtable

Editorial Board

The Harvard Crimson

14 Plympton Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

by September 24