Each Thursday, we publish a paper that expresses student thoughts, concerns and opinions. Our goal is to foster constructive thought and to encourage conversation. Last week The Villanovan published an article that may or may not have accomplished this goal. Implicit in the publication of any article in our paper is the desire that our peers will read, think critically and discuss it, as we seek to publish articles that are relevant to our campus as a whole. We hope that the conversations started are embraced by the members of our community and shed light on issues that have an effect both on our campus and beyond.  Our work as a newspaper is to be an outlet for free speech. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. It is our hope, however, that when disagreeing with someone’s stance, one would attack the idea and not the individual.  Villanova students are passionate. They engage in service, classwork, school pride and athletics with the enthusiasm and vigor that characterize our campus culture. This week our campus witnessed a different side of this passion. The column on student athletes inspired a broad spectrum of reaction. Statuses, tweets and blog posts were published across social media. Individuals used their freedom of speech to make their visceral reactions known. But while discussion and engagement with an article is our goal, it is important to remember that as students of this school, each of us represents Villanova and its core values. Teachers often complain that Villanova students are too polite to disagree or to call each other out on misguided opinions in the classroom, so why is it that the mask of social media allows such politeness to disappear? It takes courage to write an article, attach one’s name to it and then hand it to the student body to be praised or criticized.  It takes courage to make the final call on which articles make it to print.  And while writers and editors willingly enter into this situation of their own accord, they should not have to fear personal attack.  A newspaper is not a venue for working out misguided opinions, but it is also not written to please everyone.   Not everyone has to agree. In fact, that’s not what we want at all. Sometimes a difference in perspective can foster an intelligent and thoughtful dialogue. But while you may not agree, we hope that articles of this nature will open your eyes to the varying perspectives of the peers you encounter on a daily basis, and inspire you to initiate discussion with those peers.  Publicizing your frustrations gives immediate satisfaction. But will such reactions teach an impactful lesson? Singing loudly next to people who are off-key will not help them change their tune, but it might make them sing louder. We all chose Villanova for a reason. Whether it was its location, a specific academic program, athletics or its overall reputation, we all find ourselves part of the same community-a community founded on values of veritas, unitas and caritas. Whether we exemplify those values in our daily behaviors or not, we have grown to accept them based on the fact that we are all Villanovans. While freedom of speech does not guarantee the worth of all claims, opinions should not be silenced. We are all human, and our arguments and our subsequent reactions may be flawed. It is our responsibility as a community to learn from each other, not in spite of each other. We can learn how to walk the fine line between thinking critically and criticizing. Freedom of speech and thoughtful argumentation are not just for the journalist, but also for the editor, the reader, the blogger and the tweeter. We hope that intelligent discussions of important issues will continue, and that the underlying Villanova community values will guide them.