Welcome to The Forum, the student newspaper of the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County.
What do we hope to accomplish by publishing The Forum? Our purpose is to inform, educate, and persuade. We want our readers to know what’s happening on the UWMC campus. We are, after all, a newspaper. Our staff writers devote a great deal of time providing coverage of events, issues, activities, and people on the campus. We also want our readers to share in an ongoing discussion about issues of the day. Our opinion section, perhaps the most important, facilitates this conversation. Beyond these goals, we also seek to entertain. We hope that by reading The Forum, you will have learned something about the UWMC, our community, and perhaps even yourself.
The Forum is a newspaper with a long history and strong traditions. The most important of these traditions is our commitment to a free press and disdain for censorship. If you’ve been reading The Forum over the past ten years, you know that we like bringing controversial issues and opinions to the forefront. We consider it an obligation to present all points of view, no matter how different they may seem. This principle is more broadly endorsed by the university itself in the form of academic freedom. The subtitle of this newspaper is “A Medium of Open Discussion” because we consider it essential for students, faculty, and community members to engage in conversations about the issues of our time, free from the filters that typify American media.
The Forum cannot function without writers. In this issue you will find contributions by students, faculty, community members, and many others. Our writers contribute not because they are taking a journalism class, but because they have something of value to say. It is my hope that you too will contribute to this newspaper. Write a news article. Write your opinion. Take a picture. Make suggestions. There are numerous ways to become involved in this worthwhile project. Making a contribution to The Forum, however small or large, is an act of goodwill toward the community.
The Forum is the work of many individuals. A core group of students who are enrolled in a journalism class perform many essential tasks such as writing, editing, photography, layout, and office work. We also are privileged to work with UWMC students and faculty who make outside contributions. Finally, an oversight body known as the Forum Advisory Board regularly provides us with constructive feedback. I am grateful for the hard work of these individuals who make The Forum possible.
John F. Kronenwetter
Editor-in-Chief