COLUMN: Columnist’s opinions changing

I’m a fence-sitter and, as a journalist, it’s the ideal situation. It means I can be trusted to tell the truth without bias and without commentary. As a columnist, however, this can wreak some havoc.

Columns have to take the story one step further. I have to have something productive to say besides “just the facts ma’am.” Sometimes this means I have to dig up my opinion out of the depths, buried after years of solely objective writing.

But that’s OK. This poses an exciting adventure for me. Starting my second season of column writing, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m never sure where I’m going to land or what I’m going to find. My standard options, traditions and ways of thinking have morphed, either completely or into something I think is an improvement.

I believe in this change, and perhaps that makes my role as a conservative columnist seem a little off. But I think I am still more than qualified.

A conservative is someone who believes in tradition, wants to preserve existing programs and, for the most part, is limited in how much they really want to switch things up. My views are similar. I think tradition is a worthy ambition, and I’ve always figured, why buy new when you can fix what you’ve got? So, I guess I’m conservative.

However, this is not an absolute for me by any means. I’m always looking for the better way, and if I think the better way is to junk the whole thing and start again, then to heck with tradition – and you can quote me on that.

I guess, in my own sweet way, I want to change the world. I want to float some better ideas out into the marketplace and hope the right people go shopping.

Sometimes this means coming up with something new, original and innovative. Sometimes only a little tweaking is required, a slight shift to the left or right to get things working correctly, or at least more effectively. But there will be situations, I’m sure, where I can think of no better solution that a swift kick in the butt with the obvious – and believe me – I’m not above using any of these methods.

So, what can you expect from me on Wednesdays? Well, there’ll be some bright ideas, some interesting information, some bold commentary, and of course, some humor, because what’s the point of screwing up if we can’t laugh at ourselves a little bit? What I hope you won’t see is useless information. I never want reading my column to feel like a waste of time.

Understand, this is a big commitment on my part. It’s incredibly difficult to come up with a brilliant idea or witty situation worthy of discussion every week. It’s even harder to write it up and present it in a way that pleasing to read and sends a few sparks flying through the cerebrum.

But this is a commitment I’ve made and I’m willing. My hope is that somewhere in the middle of my columnist experience, I have one idea, insight or opinion where someone can sit back and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I want to bring them over to my side of the fence, which ever side that happens to be. It will be fun to find out.

Mikaylie Kartchner is a senior majoring in print journalism. Her conservative column appears each Wednesday.