Photo by Lola Offenback

Dear Readers,

It’s weird to think that this is my second-to-last edition at The Comenian. This four-year-long journey that began my freshman year is now approaching the final chapter, and I once again cannot help but look back at the tremendous strides this paper has made over my tenure as both a writer and editor-in-chief.

In the last stretch, I am humbled by our amazing staff that continues to show an incredible amount of grit and dedication, especially through the hectic semester.

Due to mounting academic responsibilities, I had to take a step back with this edition, so our Managing Editor, Lola Offenback, took the lead. Thank you, Lola, for pulling this edition together during one of the busiest times of the semester. 

Now, considering recent events, I would like to briefly speak about the arrest of a student journalist who did nothing but express her First Amendment rights as a lawful U.S. resident. A Tufts University, Turkish PhD student, Rumeysa Ozturk, was arrested on Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security officials.

They say the reason was that she participated in activities that were in support of Hamas (a terrorist group backed by Iran), but neither the DHS nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement has given any evidence of any illegal activity whatsoever. 

So far, all that has been found is that she co-authored an editorial at the Tufts student newspaper where she and other students voiced their support for Palestine. I do not care where you fall on the Israel/Palestine conflict, nor do I care which side of the aisle you fall on; this is wrong.

Republicans claim that they support free speech, but this and other incidents with pro-Palestinian students, as well as continued attacks on critical journalists, continue to show that the Trump Administration’s support for free speech is conditional.

Let me put it simply: this is fundamentally un-American and wrong. This is not how a free society functions, nor is this how we foster a healthy and vibrant national discussion. Trump and his DUI hires have made it clear that they only care about the First Amendment when it comes to people being racist on Twitter.

This kind of behavior goes against every fundamental principle that America was founded on, and we are watching our rights be eroded by a president and administration run by cowards and sycophants. If you are unwilling to be confronted on your views and policies, you should not be the leader of the free world.

This entire fiasco shows why journalism is so important: it is the bedrock of democracy that keeps the government accountable. Whether it’s student papers writing about their school’s problems or national publications reporting on security breaches via text message, journalists are the first line in keeping us from becoming an authoritarian state.

Government and people in power need to be held accountable regardless of partisan affiliation, and I hope that over the last four years, we have shown and forwarded that ideal. We at The Comenian are dedicated to training a critical eye on the world around us while also being an open space for students to express their opinions and beliefs. 

I believe that we have demonstrated the value that journalism has with this paper. Do we mess up sometimes? Yes, but that doesn’t make the work we do any less important. Journalists have to also be held accountable, just like the government, but the Trump administration has crossed a line that goes beyond any definition of accountability. This is unequivocally authoritarian behavior and the continued attack on free speech is dangerous.

The moral of the story is to go buy your favorite journalist a coffee because we are all worried about now.

I and the rest of The Comenian editorial team remain dedicated to the values of truth, accuracy, respect, inclusivity, and accountability. Thank you, reader, for supporting student journalism by clicking on this or any other article on our site, and thank you Moravian for fostering a campus environment that allows for students to freely express themselves and how they feel.

We will be back soon with a special or maybe even foolish edition that will hopefully lighten the mood. Until then, though, stay safe and take care of yourselves through this troubling time and intense part of the semester.

Your Editor-in-Chief,

AJ