by Parviz Kanga ’15
Today’s issue of The Eye is the result of 87 years of history that have slowly molded the paper into its present form. Even recently, notable changes have affected the style and purpose of the Eye, making the newspaper an interesting topic for discussion.
The students’ opinion about the Eye – what do they look forward to in each new issue, what they find subpar or lacking – is marked by a surprising amount of optimism running through the veins that bleed blue and gold at St. Ignatius. However, that is not to say that students prefer solely hard news in their paper, nor that they are satisfied with its current iteration.
Most students, regardless of their grade, share similar opinions about the informative value of the Eye in respect to typical news-focused articles, excluding the sports section.
For instance, Sean Sovacool ‘15, stated that they Eye is “somewhat informative.” That remark seems to encompass the general attitude towards the Eye’s value as a source of information and up-to-date news: helpful, but not an exclusive voice of authority, given the paper’s monthly status.
Most students seem generically positive about the Eye, but often in a disinterested tone. Sam Klanac ‘14, remarked that the Eye is “decently entertaining and informative,” and Brendan Novak ’15 apathetically proclaimed, “It’s alright I guess.”
Some students however have shown greater enthusiasm such as Bryan Nguyen ’16, who enjoys reading the entire Eye because it “provides him with something to do during his free period.
As expected, however, students like Nguyen are looking first and foremost for entertainment, and this entertainment sometimes comes from sources stereotypically expected of young adult males: sports, comedy, and games.
Of these three sources of entertainment, comedy is valued most in the school newspaper. This truth, anathema to some of the paper’s senior editors, is obvious when comparing student reactions to the Eye with student reactions to the Lie, the satirical April Fool’s edition of the Eye. Student reactions to the Lie, the opinion of editor-in-chief Alastair Pearson, were not only more positive but also much more sincere.
“I can’t deny that I was pleased with the positive reception this year’s Lie received,” Pearson said. “It’s the only time I’ve had a student shake my hand after an edition, or received a complimentary email from a parent. But it is disappointing, and, I think, unfortunate that the student body doesn’t place the same importance on our factual issues.”
Comedy is greatly valued in the eyes of the student body. This truth also relates to the most “enjoyable” sections of the Eye. The “Love Guru,” in particular, is one of the Eye’s most popular sections due to the comedic, fictional dating advice given by Joe Latkovich ‘14.
The other two sections of the Eye that have received the greatest praise are the sports section and the back page. The former is obviously a result of the strong athletic environment present at St. Ignatius and the typical attitude men have in general towards sports; the latter stems from the general desire of young adults to play games rather than to learn.
It is evident, although not surprising, that the student body values simple forms of young adult entertainment over typical news stories involving the wellbeing of the school and its non-sports related activities.
However, overall attitudes toward the Eye seem positive, on balance, and most students do not desire change besides the incessant quest for a “funnier” Eye.
“We’re talking to you, Keegan Holland,” Pearson said. “Feel free to start your own paper any year now.”
