We often say that The Rubicon is committed to maintaining an open forum in the Opinions section, but this has little meaning to readers who don’t know our policies or writing process. In order to fully engage with the Opinions section, it’s essential to understand the types of opinions we publish.

Editorial
The editorial is the heart of The Rubicon. It represents the views of the staff, and as such, it carries the byline “RubicOnline Staff” or “The Rubicon Staff.” The editorial board, a selection of staff members that changes each semester, chooses the topic and edits each draft. The entire staff votes on whether or not they support the editorial, and the staff vote percentage is displayed on the editorial page for transparency. If there is dissent (less than 100% staff agreement), staff members are invited to write a counter-opinion.

Opinions pieces
These are the standard stories in the Opinions section. The perspectives and beliefs represent the views of the bylined writer, not the entire staff.

Columns
Similar to regular opinions, columns share one writer’s stance, but they are a recurring segment in the section (like The Sift or this column). Through repeated stories, the writer develops expertise and credibility in their topic area.

Letters to the editor/submitted opinions
We welcome opinions from the student community. Letters to the editor are generally written in response to a published piece, while submitted opinions may be solicited by an Opinions editor to gather community input on a specific issue. Both types of opinions may be edited for clarity and style. To submit a letter or guest opinion, email [email protected] or reach out to an Opinions editor.

We encourage readers to engage with the Opinions section by reading, discussing and responding. Disagreement is welcome as long as comments address the content of the opinion, and do not attack the writer.

An inclusive school culture means there is room for differing opinions and an understanding that we can learn through listening. The Rubicon serves to create an open forum – we want our opinions to start conversations – while protecting writers’ First Amendment rights. The case of Rumeysa Ozturk is a reminder that those rights are not always respected.

Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was taken into custody by federal agents in March. Her shocking arrest, widely viewed on social media, was a consequence for her words: in March 2024, Ozturk and three other students wrote an op-ed in The Tufts Daily urging the university to divest from Israeli companies. She was released from an immigration detention center in May, per a federal judge’s order, but as of Sept. 30, the case is now being argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.

Ozturk penned an op-ed in her school newspaper, much like members of The Rubicon do every month. Bravely sharing an opinion was enough to warrant arrest. But Ozturk’s experience cannot be a reason for silence or censorship: now more than ever, a robust, active Opinions section that fosters meaningful discussion and engagement is imperative.