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People often tell me that life is an educational experience. But they should not forget that college is a perfect time to accelerate that process of learning.

While the information you get in the lecture hall shapes and hones your thought-processing skills and the way you view social and political problems, the ideas you are exposed to outside of the classroom can contribute just as much, if not more, to your world views. The rallies you attend, the speakers you listen to, the student groups you approach, the events you witness, and the articles you read in the Daily Bruin all expose you to a diversity of ideas you may not otherwise get from a lecture where a professor blandly spits out facts. Too many times, professors act as if students are faceless sponges, soaking up information and then squeezing out the facts during test time. It happens too often that the courses we take end up as a standardized exercise for how well we can use our short-term memories to get a good grade. We need to realize that the experiences and ideas that will influence and teach us new things may come from other sources.

One of these sources is the Viewpoint section of the Daily Bruin. As one of the newspaper’s integral sections, Viewpoint aims to expose readers to a diversity of opinions from students, faculty, and other members of the UCLA and the local communities. Unlike most classes where students memorize and regurgitate facts with hardly enough time for significant discussion, the Viewpoint section allows arguments to flow back and forth between students.

This dialogical process makes it possible for students to examine more than one side of a particular topic. Moreover, the section becomes an open forum where students can engage in meaningful, passionate, angry, funny, and sarcastic debate.

It is important to understand that we all have our opinions. All of us feel strongly about certain issues. Viewpoint allows you the opportunity to share your thoughts with the community at large. By doing so, it also gives you the chance to hear what people have to say against you and to test your ability to argue forcefully and effectively. It is this process of exchanging ideas that makes UCLA such a great place for learning.

Another great aspect of the Viewpoint section is that it allows for discussion on a myriad of topics. It is more than just a page where people can entrench themselves in serious political debate. It also allows for comedy, satire and discussion of social life and issues that directly affect students.

With that, I encourage each and every one of you to submit your opinions to Viewpoint, either in the form of submissions or by applying to be a columnist. Silence will get you nowhere.

Speaking out is one of the most effective ways to communicate your ideas to a mass audience. It remains one of the only ways that you can reach out to students and have them see your point of view. By engaging in conversation with one another, students have the opportunity to think more critically about their views and reexamine the faults in their own arguments. And trust me, a really well written and passionate column will elicit good responses.

Finally, let me just say that no person on this campus lives on an island. We are social beings who communicate with each other. The policies and events that affect one student are bound to have an impact on many others. Unlike many other students in this country, we are attending a top-rate university that offers many opportunities for leadership and experience. As part of this elite institution, we have the privilege to debate and discuss issues and policies that will greatly affect our families in the future.

The Viewpoint section of the Daily Bruin challenges you to speak your mind and introduce your views to other students. We respect and print articles from all sides. I also encourage you to apply as columnists at the end of every quarter. In addition to being able to write your OWN column every other week, you’ll also gain the status of celebrity as your picture appears with your column on every copy of the paper. We are in the process of gaining an education. But only through dialogue can the process of learning truly take place.