By the time I began writing this article, I had already spent a good portion of my evening scrolling through about five years of previous University Times opinion pieces. What I found was that my suspicions were confirmed: no territory was unfamiliar. For each piece I read, I would either nod my head in approval or shake it in disagreement, but there was nothing that made it tilt.
This isn’t to say that the pieces weren’t well written – many talented writers have contributed fantastic pieces to the University Times over the years – but that said, after reading, I was left feeling like there was little left to uncover. Every opinion piece I read mirrored another similar piece I had read before: “Dublin nightlife mid” – fair, “Irish government not doing enough” – shock twist, “Performative radicalism…in?” – I’d be surprised if it was ever out. I refuse to believe that I’m the only one who’s tired of reading pieces where the topic being discussed is so versatile, yet the angle is either far too obvious or overdone. It is important to write pieces that resonate with your reader – it’s a sign of good writing – but if it’s challenging thoughts at the frontline and shaping opinions you’re after, curtailing to the majority every time simply won’t cut it. I do think that part of the reason people aren’t being brave enough with their writing is because they fear receiving too much backlash – and I can’t say I blame them. While criticism is, of course, a natural consequence of writing anything that challenges the norm, the amount received is always impossible to predict and can sometimes be disproportionate beyond reason. Without banishing flak, for writers to get better at being brave, their readers need to get better at being open-minded. There’s always a reason someone has chosen to be bold, so let’s try to understand their point of view before we jump to conclusions.
It’s hard to argue with the fact that the world is very divided right now; it’s even harder to argue that it hasn’t had an effect on our writing. I think nowadays, too many writers succumb to writing opinion pieces either in extreme agreement or disagreement with the given status quo. I do not condemn this type of thinking in its entirety — in fact, it often forms the foundation of a great opinion piece and it certainly has its place in the Graduates Memorial Building (GMB). But when it comes to opinion writing, there can’t only be two sides to every story. The aim of a good opinion piece shouldn’t be to change the opinion of the reader, but rather broaden it. For me, a good piece won’t necessarily change my mind on something I feel strongly about, but it will make me think of something I wouldn’t have thought of before. Take the recent Sydney Sweeney controversy last month over her American Eagle campaign, which at first glance seemed to just be another two-sided debate where you have to pick your poison — eugenics or profiteering in this case. Then, in came journalist Marina Hyde with a piping-hot, head-tilting take of an opinion piece: Sydney Sweeney has just moulded her marketing style to suit the zeitgeist – it’s not her fault we’ve regressed, and this whole debate is idiotic. You don’t have to agree with it entirely for it to still be a fresh perspective, and in a sea of divided writing, it’s exactly what we need more of.
I think on the world stage, we should be proud of where our university stands. As students, we have no fear of speaking up for what we believe in. Voices like the students of Trinity are paramount at a time where our global political system is in such disarray. The censorship present in the de-platforming of Kneecap at Glastonbury, the Mary Wallopers being cut off at the Victorious Festival for displaying the Palestinian flag and the prospect of Sally Rooney facing terrorism charges after pledging her royalties to Palestine — to name but a few — has shown the inability of institutions to stand up for marginalised and different voices — and their willingness to give into the flak. Our strong opinions are as important as ever. That said, there is definitely still room for improvement: while retaining strength in our beliefs, we sometimes leave little room to take in other perspectives. I think by now, Trinity’s student voice has a well-established moral compass – we’re good at calling things out – but that said, if we just nod and shake our heads at everything, our necks will get sore. Let’s not lose perspective just because we refused to listen to other ones. Without falling into the realm of hate speech, diverse perspectives are vital for fostering understanding — and we should hear what people have to say before going on the defensive. Now, I’m not asking you to go off and write the next Theresa May article — unless you really want to — but do give writing from a different angle a go. One thing’s certain: a head tilt is long overdue.
