The Quadrangle: Filling in the Margins
We need not continue to long for a university
publication of sustenance. During the 1960s, when students believed the campus newspaper to have swayed too far toward the
administration’s concerns, they dreamed of a publication that would speak to and for students. The Quadrangle was their
solution to address real campus issues, though short-lived, not widely distributed, nor consistent in its publication. Its
intent and existence, along with the current tensions on campus, motivate us to carry forward this tradition during this crucial
time in Hollins University’s development. Filling in the margins and speaking of what other venues do not: Welcome to
The Quadrangle.
The Quadrangle won’t shoot blanks,
doesn’t hold its tongue, and says what it feels. Submit anything you dare. We print opinion-based articles meant to
be taken as such. We do not speak for Hollins University, but we do speak for a community we love enough to criticize; maybe
you do too. We do not align ourselves against The Hollins Columns or The Student Government Association, nor are we affiliated
with ABC or ADA, with The BSA or OUTloud; we are not a part of HRDC or GIA; we are student-run with no official faculty advisor
(though we may ask some of our brilliant and trustworthy faculty for input). We are here, though we can’t say for how
long. We would say we have no agenda, but then of course that would be a lie, as agendas can happen accidentally; everyone
brings a different, and often undeclared, agenda to the table, which any publication cannot completely deny. The Quadrangle
is an instrument for discussion and an impetus for change on this campus.
The Quadrangle is partially anonymous. Submit
any publishable form your ideas take—essay, editorial, rant, love poem, comic—to this student-run, student-advocate
publication (email to thehollinsquadrangle@gmail.com) and choose whether or not to have your name attached. On a campus as small as Hollins, people have as much to lose
as to gain from speaking up. Many students are thought to be apathetic (i.e. disempowered), though sitting at any table in
Moody refutes this. We all have opinions and ideas about this campus, and it is our belief that partial anonymity offers a
solution by encouraging lesser-known “names” to speak up. We find that too often, the usual suspects are those
who speak up. Though we praise these beautiful women/activists/people/leaders, we also know how often the personal moves into
the political realms of activism and wish to open the floor. The Quadrangle values and needs your voice, but not necessarily
your name.
Criticism does not equate with personal
attack. Though we may criticize various groups, people, ideas, organizations, administrators, we do not think they are bad
people. To work at Hollins, either as a member of its staff or as a student leader is to bear a hard weight. We understand.
However, we feel it’s our duty and yours to speak up.
We staff people of The Quadrangle want each
and every one of you to take ownership of this publication. If you are asked if you are a member, please reply with the statement
“of course, everyone at Hollins is a member.” Let’s protect one another; let’s protect our right to
speak, even if it’s something you disagree with. The following pieces have been written by people directly involved
in this publication’s conception, but also by people who do not know anything about The Quadrangle besides its email
(we sent emails out to people who’ve ranted in Moody, Senate, and other places who may want a platform to stand on while
articulating a point, and who might be on campus for J Term). Assume away and question those assumptions, as well as the emotions
you have while reading. We love you. We love Hollins.
Carpe Diem.
The Hollins Quadrangle
