Editor’s picks: The top opinion stories of 2025 |
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In 2025, The Daily Orange’s Opinion section columnists encouraged necessary conversations on Syracuse-specific issues, national affairs and global events. In a time when public confidence in journalism wavers and honest dialogue feels threatened, our columnists persistently shared perspectives, held institutions accountable and offered insights readers might not have considered.
This year’s must-read stories examined everything from analyzing a Syracuse Debate Club meeting in the context of the nation’s sharply divided political climate, to a five-day experiment befriending an AI chatbot. Our columnists put research and creativity into each article of the year, offering calls to action ranging from addressing issues within Syracuse University’s own community to highlighting global inequities.
Here are the opinion section’s 10 most noteworthy reads of 2025:
Julia English | Cartoonist
Our guest columnist critiqued Syracuse University’s current definition of success, arguing that institutional recognition favors high-achieving students with campus leadership roles while overlooking those who contribute in the broader Syracuse community.
He framed this imbalance as part of SU’s long-standing separation from the city, arguing that recognizing community-based impact would strengthen the university’s relationship with Syracuse.
“These students are often deeply committed and resourceful. However, from what I observe, their contributions don’t fit neatly into the university’s traditional molds of success, despite SU marketing itself as committed to community well-being,” the guest columnist wrote.
Leonardo Eriman | Senior Staff Photographer
During Syracuse University’s move-out period, our columnist observed piles of discarded clothing, furniture and unopened food, highlighting a culture of student consumerism and disposability.
She argued students should be preemptively conscious of their spending habits, emphasizing fast fashion, microtrends and excessive dorm purchases contribute to landfill waste and reflect on indifference toward reuse and donation.
“Don’t buy something you can’t see yourself fitting into your car at the end of the year. Stop purchasing clothes........