Dear HPU, the wait is finally over

Dear High Point University community, 

 

The wait is finally over. I am excited to announce the first edition of The View Point Newspaper. It will be published on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The View Point is a publication meant to serve the High Point University community. Our mission is to create a platform for students to express their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Our motto is giving a voice to the voiceless. 

 

I decided to create this platform after I published an article in the Carolina Journal. After publishing the article, I realized that information within the community is heavily censored. 

 

As a journalism student, I am taught to exercise my First Amendment right to freedom of speech. A journalist's job in our country is to be a voice for the voiceless: the constituents. It is our job to check the people who are put into power. The Washington Posts’ slogan is “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” Without journalism, there wouldn’t be a place for opinions and a marketplace of ideas. 

 

Within the gates of HPU, it is difficult to speak freely about bad news within the community. We are being taught to embrace the First Amendment, but we aren’t allowed to speak the truth about what happens within our gates. This did not sit right with me. Over the last three years, I have watched myself and my peers constantly get turned down by Q News, the university funded publication, because our work was not in support of the university. This is censoring at its finest.

 

However, HPU is a private university that has the right to prevent unpleasant information from spreading within the gates. But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t tell the truth outside the gates. 

 

After a lot of research, I decided it was time to finally give a voice to the voiceless. The View Point is our place to tell our point of view. 

 

This publication is not just for news and politics, it is for everyone. The View Point will start with news, features and opinions. Over time, we will add politics, science, sports, arts, business and more. This is a platform for us to share what is happening on campus: the good, the bad and the ugly. It is a place for us to peacefully debate, showcase our work, advertise special events and collaborate with others. 

 

We have hidden our viewpoints for too long, it is time that we come out of the darkness. I hope that The View Point can not only have a positive impact on the community, but can also be a platform for those who want to be heard. 

 

Thank you in advance for the support. 

Sincerely, 

Caroline A. Peacock 

Founder of The View Point 

Journalism Student at High Point University