Interested in getting your opinion published for The Campus Citizen readers?
Members of the community can submit a Letter to the Editor or a guest column as a response or call-to-attention about relevant issues, which could vary from academics to IUPUI administration to community issues.
A letter to the editor is a shorter response or callout, and it may be in response to something previously published in The Campus Citizen. A guest column is a longer piece that provides clear explanation and dissection of an issue.
Any questions can be directed to thecampuscitizen@gmail.com, and an editor will promptly respond.
Letter to the Editor Policy:
The purpose of The Campus Citizen accepting letters to the editor is to provide a forum for students and community members to voice their concerns over campus and local issues. We encourage freedom of expression, but will not publish letters that have no relevance to the campus community. Furthermore, we will not accept letters whose primary purpose is to advertise for a certain group or endorsing a political organization or candidate, as it is generally accepted practice to be paid for advertisement, and only at the discretion of the editorial board.
Students writing on behalf of an organization are able to explain why their organization is connected to a certain issue, but the primary focus should be on the issue itself and how it might be solved. Any conflicts of interest or involvement in said organization should be disclosed, along with the full name of the writer and IU email address if relevant, or another means of verifying the identity of the writer. The Campus Citizen reserves the right to publish letters anonymously or under initials in circumstances where publishing could lead to backlash to the writer, especially if they are in a position of campus authority.
All information therein should be factually correct and verifiable, and in the interest of brevity kept under 600 words. The Campus Citizen reserves the right to edit for clarity, grammar, professionalism, and focus while keeping the meaning of the letter intact. They also reserve the right to edit this policy in consultation with the editorial board.
At the end of the day, The Campus Citizen reserves the right to publish a letter or not, but must provide justification for refusing to publish within a reasonable timeframe.
Some reasons for refusing to publish include
Explicitly advocating for violence or criminal activity (civil disobedience is excluded).
Does not address a campus or local issue. It can relate to wider issues as well, but must focus on its impact on students and what could be done to mitigate that.
The letter contains no solution to the perceived issue
Some reasons for refusing to publish do NOT include
Criticizing The Campus Citizen or Indiana University (so long as the information is factually accurate)
The sex, ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or political affiliation of the author.
Students who disagree with our policy are welcome to join our staff and gain greater flexibility in writing.
Guest columns policy:
Not exceed 500 - 650 words in length.
Submitted with either an appropriate photo or photo suggestion related to the general theme or topic of the guest column.
If a photo is submitted, a two-sentence caption describing the content of the photo and when the subject matter took place should be included
Be fact-checked by the author and provide evidence for claims. The Campus Citizen will conduct its own fact-check and reserves the right to reject a guest column based on a lack of facts presented.
If a photo suggestion is submitted, we will use that to find a similar photo to use for the guest column or op-ed and will generate the caption
Respond to a contemporary topic or issue facing the IUPUI and/or Indianapolis community. Some exceptions may be granted.
Should include a title and abstract (subtitle) indicative of the general theme or topic of your letter. Both should be under 12 words.
The Campus Citizen reserves the right to alter, edit and condense the content of submitted letters and guest columns to come into accordance with our editorial standards and practices.
The Campus Citizen can also reject any submissions believed to be in bad faith, intentionally harmful or damaging or otherwise outside of the guidelines outlined above.
Submission and Publishing Process
Letters and guest columns can be submitted via email to thecampuscitizen@gmail.com.
Submitters should expect a response within 2-3 days with confirmation of intent to publish, followed-up by next steps or a message of rejection.
If accepted, authors need to make themselves available within the following week in order to address any required alterations and/or edits to the article. If authors fail to address or accept the changes made to the initially submitted article, The Campus Citizen reserves the right to refuse publishing.
Wild Walkoff for the Jags
By Nathan Ensley | April 26Despite the odds being stacked against them, The IUPUI Softball team would mount a five-run rally, exploiting Robert Morris’ errors, to win in wild fashion while keeping them well alive in the playoff chase. The wild finish to this game was a consistent theme to the Jaguars’ entire season.
Islam in Indianapolis
By Sahar Abdullah | April 22Over the past month, Muslims around the world were unified through fasting from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is one the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam, alongside having faith in one God, praying five times a day, giving charity, and making the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia (if one is physically, mentally and financially able to). There are many Hoosiers who participate in Ramadan. According to Indiana Historical Society Press, Muslim sects have established themselves in Indianapolis as early as 1926. Today, a culturally diverse Muslim population calls Indianapolis home. At IUPUI, the Muslim Student Association (MSA), Pakistani Student Association (PSA), Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) and IUPUI International Club have all hosted iftars— meals consumed when breaking the fast, traditionally starting with a date or water and in a group setting— over the past month.
Undergraduate Student Government Addresses Underutilized Funding and Disconnect from Campus Organizations
By Abby Godsen | April 20The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at IUPUI cites their mission as being, “committed to improving the student experience by representing the student body, supporting student-led organizations on campus, addressing student concerns." According to their site, USG provides a platform for student involvement, while providing education surrounding social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. While USG does provide support to students, their $85,000 budget for the 2022-2023 school year has been underutilized, diluting the impact the organization could be making at IUPUI. There is a fundamental disconnect between USG and the needs of organizations at IUPUI, one that USG acknowledges themselves.
