To the Editor:
As the former Editor of The Brown Spectator who revived the publication as an undergraduate student, I read with interest Anuj Krishnamurthy’s op-ed, “Bring Back the Brown Spectator.”
With the benefit of hindsight, I agree with Mr. Krishnamurthy that the last iteration of The Brown Spectator at times “derived far too much pleasure from deliberate provocation.” But were Mr. Krishnamurthy or others to track down issues of The Spectator in the John Hay Library archives, they would also find many examples of “clear-eyed conservative commentary” and “assertive, reasoned polemicizing” — the kind Mr. Krishnamurthy presumably hopes will return to Brown’s community.
If any students do heed Mr. Krishnamurthy’s call to revive The Brown Spectator — and I hope they do — I would offer the same advice to the publication’s editors as I would to its critics: Engage in a spirit of open-mindedness, intellectual rigor and kindness that is all too missing in today’s political discourse. Nourishing a civic culture based on deep understanding and mutual respect is a cause more important than the fleeting issues that divide us today.
Pratik Chougule ’07.5
Former editor of The Brown Spectator and law school admissions consultant at TopLawAdmissions.com.
