Submit Letters to the Editor & Op-Eds

The Bates Student is a student-run forum for voices of, by and for the Bates College community. We accept Letters to the Editor from all readers, and op-eds from members of the Bates and Lewiston communities. 

We expect exclusivity; please do not send us anything that has been submitted to any other media organization. All submissions must adhere to the specific guidelines below.

Letters to the Editor

The Bates Student accepts Letters to the Editor of approximately 250 words in length. Any reader may submit a Letter to the Editor, but Letters must directly respond to a story published in The Student in the last two months.

Please email us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] with the subject line “Letter to the Editor.” We publish every other Wednesday and will include Letters received up to three days before publication. Letters received after 6pm on Sunday evening will be held until the following edition.

We reserve the right to reject Letters, to make minor edits for clarity and concision and/or to collaborate with you to ensure that your Letter is a clear response to a current article. 

See examples of Letters to the Editor we have published here. For tips about how to write a Letter to the Editor, check out this resource.

Op-Eds

The word “op-ed” comes from “opposite the editorial,” referring to the traditional placement of these stories in print newspapers on the page facing the editorial board’s articles. Op-eds are short personal articles that express an opinion or make an argument about a topic. 

We accept op-eds written by any member of the Bates community that address a topic of current relevance to Bates students. If you are a student, a faculty or staff member, an alum, a parent of a current student or a Lewiston resident, feel free to email us your op-ed of 700 words or less. If you are not a member of the Bates community, consider sending us a Letter to the Editor.

Your op-ed should be primarily based in your experience. You can and should use first person. If you would like to mention or quote other people, make sure you are doing so ethically, telling them that you are using their quotes and representing their viewpoints accurately. Any statements of fact (for instance, use of statistics to support your argument) should be appropriately cited using reliable sources. 

Please email us your op-ed at [email protected] with the subject line “Op-Ed Submission.” We will respond to your op-ed within one week telling you if we are interested in publishing your article and letting you know about any revisions we would like you to make before publication.

We reserve the right to reject op-eds, to make minor edits for clarity and concision and/or to collaborate with you to ensure that your op-ed is clear and focused on a current, relevant issue.

For tips about how to write an op-ed, check out this resource.

Questions?

We value your voice, and we’re here to help you share it. Don’t hesitate to email [email protected] with any questions.