Western Oregon Journal

In response to Nicole Perry’s column written on April 8th, I would like to offer an alternate explanation why some might not like her column. She claims that a newspaper must be “controversial,” “stirring,” and offer insightful interpretations of things. Well if that is the standard by which effective journalism is measured then she has failed in the utmost capacity.

To be blunt, nobody is going to find a column interesting about what Ms. Perry thinks. For one, having a column in a student newspaper does not make her an authority on opinions or advice, especially considering that she is in her early-early-early-20s and has not experienced a fraction of life that would warrant respect for her wisdom. Ms. Perry has much experience with life as an electrician has with writing an opera. Get a job, get married, have kids, run a marathon, lose your arm in a tractor accident, survive cancer, get divorced, then I might listen to your opinion on life. But until then, shut up and listen. You have a lot of learning to do.

The real crime with her column however is that it is so full of nonsense and fluff that it is as interesting as a VCR manual. Take the April 22nd issue’s “The Way I See it…” Headline: “Don’t Litter.” Thank you so very much for reiterating a point that Woodsy the Owl made over 20 years ago. Don’t Litter?!! Is that controversial? What is next week’s column? Don’t smoke crack? Be kind to animals? Don’t be racist? But to pick on Ms. Perry is a bit unfair as the entirety of the Western Oregon Journal is at fault for producing a piece of cat box liner that is one of the greatest bores and student funds waster in all of campus. Daniel Kuehnel is also guilty of the self-important, myopic, holier-than-thou attitude exhibited so artfully by Perry and I always look forward to sports reporter Reggie Walker’s regurgitation of what he saw on SportsCenter.

This has not been the first letter like this submitted to the WOJ and it will not be the last until somebody finally takes your blind, limping, malnourished excuse for a newspaper behind the barn and shoot it.

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