Opinions are like belly buttons – everyone has one, and everyone’s is different. There have been some heated letters to the editor submitted this semester, and it seems that an explanation of The Maroon’s purpose is needed.

The editorial board would like to take this opportunity to explain and clarify the objectives of the editorial and opinion pages, as well as the definition of opinion and who is allowed to express it in this newspaper.

The purpose of an editorial is to express the majority opinion of the editorial board. When The Maroon published an editorial endorsing John Kerry last semester, that opinion represented most of the e-board, but not all supported Kerry – in fact, not all of the editorial board members were American citizens.

While The Maroon stood behind University President the Rev. Kevin Wildes’ decision to allow “The Vagina Monologues” to be performed on campus, that doesn’t mean every staff member was in favor of the play. Not all of The Maroon’s editors are Catholic either, so editorials do not necessarily represent the opinion of university administration or of the Catholic Church.

The same goes with opinion columns: When a section editor prints a column, it doesn’t necessarily mean the column has the ringing endorsement of that editor or any other. Editors often print opinions that they do not agree with for the sake of achieving a balance of opinion. For instance, Coleen O’Lear and Karl Weis’ columns are representative only of their opinions, not necessarily of the editorial editor’s, and definitely not of the entire editorial board.

Letters to the editor give Loyola students, faculty, staff and alumni the chance to voice their opinions, positive or negative, about the material of The Maroon or about any issue that affects Loyola. Sometimes, letters are angry and opinionated; other times, poignant and positive. Either way, it’s important to realize that printing a letter is not an endorsement of its content, but instead an attempt by The Maroon to show all sides of a story.

The Maroon staff strives each week to offer a variety of stories and opinions. This will obviously not make every person happy all of the time. That would be impossible. But it is hoped that The Maroon is at least respected for its willingness to give all community members an outlet for their opinions.