Passing the Torch

Over the last month or so, I've noticed a lot of negativity toward the Torch.

Perhaps its always been there, and I just never noticed. It seems possible that my involvement with the institution would make me slightly more perceptive to certain criticisms. But even so, the Torch has received a considerable amount of backlash from Witt students.

This puzzles me, because I've heard nothing but praise for the Torch's improvements over the past two years from faculty and staff. Professors Fallon, McClelland, and Smith have all cited past failures on the Torch's behalf, and stated these things are long behind the newspaper.

So where do students get off calling the Torch "incompetent?" Is the Torch, not unlike many other college institutions, meant to be a learning vehicle for future news writers and display editors to hone their skills?

I feel as though many Wittenbergers are confused about the actual operations of their campus's newspaper. So allow me to clear a few things up:

1) The Torch is not exactly a cohesive or collective body of staff writers that churns out stories as a group. Each writer is responsible for his own work, and should be criticized individually.

2) The Torch is nowhere near fully staffed, and its editors are on a very tight schedule. This means that stories cannot be reworked time and again, and, at a certain point, stories have to run as they are.

3) Sometimes, things just aren't that interesting. It can be hard to find a house fire or a burglary every week, especially on a college budget. Of course, that would be writers' jobs were they full-time employees. But they aren't. We're in college. 

Witt students need to think before they go on talking trash about every little problem with their newspaper. Overall, I feel that people should try to contribute more instead of bashing every institution that doesn't seem "professional." It's a lot harder than it looks.

***This is not meant to be a slight toward anyone in ENGL 320 who helps in constructive criticisms during class. It is aimed more toward those who complain without ever trying to fix any problems.