? I am the architect of the Opinions Page. I do not build the opinions you will have the privilege to read throughout the year, I merely created the forum for a selection of diverse writers from all reaches on campus to produce a structure of thought – really, email is a ?powerful tool.

On a campus as large as The University of Alabama, where the amount of individuals ?engenders a multitude of ?diverse and differing opinions, I will futilely attempt to present every opinion. Yet, the opinions I do choose to present will be those relevant to students on campus and pushes you, the ?reader, to challenge your currently held beliefs and ideals.

In this noble aim, the ?opinions page exists for all ?members of the University (students, administrators, faculty, etc.) ?to present their views. As a community of scholars and ?thinkers at The University, the onus is on us to learn to understand and, more importantly, respect the diverse viewpoints that we ?all possess.

We live in a world filled with strife, discord and disrespectful disagreement, the least we could do as future leaders is to learn from the people around us and imagine a world with a little more ?agreement, a litle more harmony. ?The opinions page is merely one of numerous offerings at the University to nudge our mind to believe in a brighter future that we will mold, if we already do not.

What the opinions page will not be is a battlefield for ?frustrated students, faculty and ?administrators to wage vendettas against any member or group in the ?UA community.

The University of Alabama is much larger than a single ?organization, a single student, a ?single administrator. To believe ?there are intractable and ?irreconcilable differences between us is a disservice to the idea of a united, academic community ?committed to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Alabama and the world. The ?opinions page will not be among those many entities standing in the door to mutual respect and progress on this ?campus, I guarantee it.

I encourage you all to read more and whether that is literature, news, people, it does not matter; reading helps us learn how to learn about ourselves and the world around us. I end by wishing you the best of luck with all your ?endeavors and challenge you to form an opinion piece of your ?own and submit it to [email protected].

Patrick Crowley is the Opinions Editor for The Crimson White. He is a senior studying mathematics, finance and economics.