As a long time reader (going on my 5th year now), I was dismayed to discover that this semester that you have apparently abandoned the daily comics section in favor of “amusing” or weird stories stripped from The Associated Press.

While I can understand that given the current economic climate it may be hard to rationalize the inclusion of comic strips, they are an intrinsic part of American culture and expression. More to the point, my colleagues and I at the English department loved to chat up the latest strips.

I’ve always understood the Northern Star to represent journalistic quality of the highest order, which clearly includes representing burgeoning comic artists in their formative stages. I think it’s a point of pride for a university to showcase the humor, wit, and artistic talent of its student body.

Michael Dean

Graduate assistant

English department