Since 2009, The Brown Daily Herald’s editorial page board has provided the Brown community with “informed commentary on topics that are timely, relevant and thought-provoking” as an institutional voice independent from the newsroom. Given increasing ideological divides and political upheavals defining life both on and off campus, we, as the current editorial page board, want to clarify our mission.
We are a group of eight writers — including opinions editors, staff columnists, copy editors and designers — representing all class years, a plethora of concentrations and diverse backgrounds. Our purpose is to write on topics that inspire meaningful discourse, reflect on pressing societal concerns and speak directly to life on College Hill. The world is filled with issues Brunonians are passionate about, but we will only provide editorials relevant to our position as students at Brown. While we’d like to comment on all important events that are unraveling across the globe, it’s often not our place to do so.
Our goal is not to echo the collective voice of the student body but to present our own judgment based on the distinct perspectives brought to the table by the members of the board. We recognize that we will never be able to integrate every perspective present on campus, but the editorial page board hopes to take into consideration the interests of as wide a range of Brown students as possible. We do not know what the coming months will bring, but we are resolved to meet whatever comes with curiosity, conviction and an unwavering commitment to our shared values.
This commitment to uphold our values is especially crucial in times of political turbulence, when institutions and individuals alike are tested. As President Trump’s second term ushers in a new era of uncertainty, especially in higher education, the editorial page board will remain grounded, reject party lines and aim to reason through critical thought alone. We will agree, and we will dissent. And, ultimately, we will always be guided by our commitment to the Brown community.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board, and its views are separate from those of The Herald’s newsroom and the 135th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. This editorial was written by the editorial page board’s members, Ethan Canfield ’28, Rchin Bari ’28, Christian Davis ’27, Paul Hudes ’27, Paulie Malherbe ’26, Ben Aizenberg ’26, Tas Rahman ’26 and Meher Sandhu ’25.5.
