After reading Monday’s edition of The Hatchet, I was struck that The Hatchet has become a terribly boring publication. I respect the character and journalistic acumen of The Hatchet staff. On the whole, the writing of Hatchet staff writers is excellent and generally covers relevant topics respectfully and informatively. Perhaps this is the problem.

The Hatchet’s core audience is students seeking to gain insight into events and trends at GW. Equally important to informing this audience is entertaining them. I remember as recently as last spring finding myself guffawing at the contents of a Hatchet article. Now I simply butcher the crossword puzzle.

The Hatchet takes itself entirely too seriously. While columns such as Jason Safdi?’s most recent may be well written and express important viewpoints, they pale in comparison with past humorous commentaries. While I understand The Hatchet staff may be assembling a portfolio for future employment, I feel marginalized. If I want to understand the intricate nuances of the recent anthrax scare, I will read The Washington Post. Please entertain me.

As a Hatchet writer, I always attempted to infuse humor into the contents of my copy. I felt it my responsibility to put smiles on the faces of Hatchet readers. The Hatchet often serves as a distraction from an otherwise dry classroom lecture. With that in mind, I prefer not to be bored or lectured to even further.

The Hatchet should reexamine its approach to publishing a college newspaper. I beg the Hatchet staff to re-familiarize themselves with their audience.

-Tim Foden
senior