Look Beyond This Vertical Paper

By TMP Editorial Board

We know that a good number of Milton students don't really think about which of the papers they read. Well, it's either the vertical one or the horizontal one, you might say if you pay attention to our format. The paper you choose might depend on which has a crossword, or which has better humor. If it’s a good week and both papers put out funny jokes, maybe you’ll read both (or neither!). We understand if you're just here for a crossword puzzle and some topical Milton humor, but know that everything in this paper was put here for a reason. 

To those of us on TMP’s editorial board, this weekly paper is a structural part of our lives. Putting together each issue is a project of love, a responsibility that requires serious, honest reflection. In other words, we care deeply for the perspectives we want to highlight within the Milton community. We believe in the power of a newspaper to connect us by pushing public dialogue forward and sharing information that helps everyone on campus understand each other better. At the same time, we are unafraid to speak our minds openly, and we do not shy away from hard conversations. We are and will always be accountable for our words and actions. 

The Milton Paper was founded in 1983 by David Roth and Mark Denneen with the purpose of being an uncensored voice in the community, independently funded and entirely student-run. Generations of writers and editors at the Paper have done their best to keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the future, to write what needs to be said (even if it’s not what we want to hear). The Milton Paper's independence means that we are free to go where the stories are, to say what we mean. To lean in when most would pull back. 

This year, for instance, we are committed to publishing regular political and news columns to encourage discourse and ensure that Milton remains informed about the remaining weeks of the presidential election as well as the ongoing world events that unfold around us. This school has a way of creating its own bubble of ignorance; the last thing we want is to lose ourselves in it. At the same time, we hope to uphold our legacy by informing you about what's happening on campus, publishing thoughtful analyses, and holding up a mirror to our community in our editorials, all while remaining true to the values of independence and truth-telling that we were founded upon. 

Ultimately, we hope that all members of this community can feel represented by the Paper. We are, after all, a publication for all of you—students, faculty, and staff. 

So if you ever think we're not living up to this mission—if there's a story we're missing or a perspective we're leaving out—tell us. Our names are right there on the masthead.