Contra is an ad-hoc print broadsheet dedicated to widening the space of civil discourse at Amherst College. It can sometimes feel, at Amherst, that everyone agrees on almost everything—or, perhaps, that everyone who dissents from the majority has gotten good at keeping quiet. Founded in 2022, Contra aims to combat this sentiment via the provision of a forum for persuasive argument open to writers of any viewpoint, including those who would rather remain anonymous in their contributions to the campus conversation. As such, Contra extends the offer to any writer to publish anonymously.

College is a place where we should encounter new and challenging ideas, where we should be forced to look critically at our preconceived notions of the world and revise them, or at least clarify for ourselves why those notions are good and true. To do this, to examine our beliefs in detail and with rigor, we cannot only engage with people who already agree with us. To really understand important topics, we must engage with people that disagree with us. We must view issues from new angles. Perhaps we will find these new angles un-informed and lackluster. But maybe, scrutinizing our own views, we will see that we have been wrong.

We hope, reader, that you enjoy reading what our writers have to say—or, at the very least, appreciate our articles for what they are: sincere attempts at stimulating argument about issues of importance to Amherst and the world, written by people who care about the community we find ourselves in. The Contra editorial team is excited to facilitate this work!