Spring 2024
Rohan & Sophia Editor’s Note:
Before we head into this POV issue, we would like to thank our previous Editor-in-Chiefs, Shane & Alejandro, for all the hard work they have devoted to the magazine. We are very thankful for their contributions and hope to carry on the effort they have put into the POV. We wish them well as they leave for college, confident they will make a profound impact on whatever path they choose to pursue. In addition, we are excited to welcome our new editorial staff. Sebastian, Tia, and You-Yan are the new assistant Editor-in-Chiefs, and they will work alongside our editors: Andreu, David, Matthew, Mirabel, Oliver, and Walker. We appreciate the effort these students have put into the Spring issue, and are excited to continue working with them next year!
With the presidential election looming over the next couple of months and ongoing conflicts like Israel-Hamas & Russia-Ukraine dominating the political landscape, we at the POV are committed to encouraging all BB&N students to freely voice their opinions in well-structured political argument articles. We must value informed arguments over biased opinions. In our articles, this commitment is reflected in the use of reputable sources and robust reasoning to convey well-organized political arguments that go beyond merely summarizing the news. We aim to craft articles that persuade, not attack. Everyone has opinions, and now more than ever, our community must form well-informed opinions that consider arguments from both sides. This is crucial to prevent the kind of narrow-mindedness that can lead to conflict and violence.
We encourage our BB&N community to engage in healthy political discussions that allow them to explore alternative perspectives and respectfully acknowledge the political diversity of our school. At the POV, we understand the sensitivity of these issues to certain communities and hope that our students can continue to consider the division these conflicts cause. As we can see on current college campuses, violence only exacerbates the problem. In today’s world, it often feels impossible to remain neutral. Whether it’s Democrats and Republicans, Israel and Palestine, or Russia and Ukraine, by not choosing a side you can be seen as a sympathizer of both and criticized for inaction. At the POV, we strive to offer diverse perspectives on current political issues to foster a welcoming environment for political discussion. We hope to emphasize to both our writers and readers the importance of well-structured arguments supported by evidence over opinions.
Heading into the 2024 election, we hope that our students choose to explore a variety of perspectives before making their own educated choices. We believe that the POV’s role at BB&N is to help students engage in political discussion, explore conflicts respectfully with their peers, and teach them how to differentiate misinformation from reputable sources. Navigating the divided political world is challenging, but here at the POV, we are dedicated to providing a platform for balanced and thoughtful discourse.