Editorial: The Truth Matters

The Tripod frequently undertakes efforts to cover serious, meaningful stories that have a real impact on Trinity College and the wider campus community. These stories are things that faculty and students should know to be informed, responsible citizens. They address systematic problems on this campus and go to the heart of what we believe is just and right. However, we often find individuals unwilling or unable to come forward and discuss these issues in the public forum, both for fear of repercussion and for fear of harassment. Their reasons are often, sadly, valid, but often in our society concerns are never addressed and the truth is never hold because stories cannot be told. It is the solemn duty of the press to report the truth, but the press can only exist with the support of the people. We cannot exist without the individuals with the courage and resolve to come forward and speak the truth for the benefit of those on the campus and those in the wider world.

At Trinity, the Tripod is the College’s forum of record. When historians come to consider what Trinity students thought in a particular space and time, they will turn to the Tripod to understand how things were and what students thought. When we let injustices that we know occur go unreported and undiscussed in the public forum, we allow those who seek to abuse power and conflate it for their own purposes win.

In our troubling age, the truth is more important than ever. It is easy for those in power to decry that they speak the truth and that their actions are always taken in the best interest of the people they serve. But we know that this is often not the case and the price we, as a society, pay for burying the truth is devastating and far-reaching.

Silence, broken by the truth of the press, is our fundamental reason for existence. The assault against the veracity that the press fights hard to maintain has necessitated drastic action. “The truth is worth it,” reads a recent branding campaign of the New York Times, its first in decades. People, more than ever, must recognize that the important work of the press is worth supporting. The Washinhgton Post has adopted the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” alluding to the state of the nation and the world today.

The Tripod is committed to covering and investigating the fraught issues of our campus, interviewing those involved and producing a set of facts which are consistent and verifiable. Our stories are not pursued with animus, but out of a strong commitment to the principles that have defined outstanding journalism for generations. We will continue to pursue our mission, despite the hindrances which so often present themselves.

Our College’s paper will not succumb to the pressures of those who seek to silence the truth, for the truth shall always be revealed. In the end, through tireless reporting and thoughtful consideration, the facts will become clear. Truly I contend, the truth is one of the most powerful forces in existence and is the cornerstone of the intellectual pursuit that all students of the liberal arts share.

The liberal arts encourage a searching mind, a mind focused on addressing issues central to the very ideal of what the truth is. It is upon that foundational ideal of free inquiry and a willingness to learn that the liberal arts find their grounding and purpose. Without a commitment to this greater truth, I would contend that our College has little to stand on.

Since 1904, the Tripod has brought you the facts and it is our humble intention to continue to do so unabated. So we soldier on, despite opposition, in pursuit of a duty that we will always carry. Whether you have a truth to share or wish to participate in its pursuit, the Tripod shall always be here for you.

-BWC