Just two months ago, we created The Miami Patriot to challenge the existing information monopoly on campus. The need for conservative voices in student media could only be fulfilled by a publication operating independent of the university. With a team of writers willing to stand for their beliefs in the face of animosity, we stepped up to fill a void and change the campus status quo. Now, as the school year comes to a close and we reach the end of our first semester as a publication, we reflect on these past couple of months with profound gratitude for our supporters and readers, and we look toward our future with determination and optimism.
We introduced The Miami Patriot with an article explaining the necessity for our existence and the goals we had: to give conservative students an outlet to write and to promote patriotism in an age where conservatives are given few options to speak their beliefs on college campuses. There is still a long way to go in those endeavors, but in these last couple of months we have taken significant strides in the right direction.
We owe our success thus far to those who stepped up to write for us as well as those who supported us behind the scenes and read our articles. It is clear that there is a larger conservative presence on campus than many realized. For everyone who read our articles, spread our message, and encouraged us in the face of controversy, we are grateful, and we will continue to work so that conservative viewpoints are heard at Miami.
As expected, we faced opposition and we expect this will continue for the foreseeable future. Although the aggressive nature of some of the backlash we received does not paint a respectable picture of our opponents, the attacks also grew our following and strengthened our commitment. Furthermore, it served as an indicator that we were on the right track toward making the change we desired.
However, we also recognize that the extreme rhetoric of a few is not representative of everyone on the other side. To those on the other side of the aisle who wish to engage in civil debate, we will continue to be open to that. Our university and our nation would benefit greatly from such discussion.
As we approach the summer, The Miami Patriot will take a break from publishing regular articles until we return to campus for the fall semester. When we return, we will experience a significant expansion to further our mission of promoting intellectual freedom, conservative values, and patriotism at Miami University. Until then, enjoy the next few months, and thank you all for your support.
The Miami Patriot Editorial Board
Theo DeRosa
Alli Lowe
Corie Maurer
Johnny Giroux
Charlotte Waldron