In Issue 2 of The Mike, the student newspaper of St. Michael’s College (SMC), it was announced that the Faith and Thought section would be renamed to Logos.
Logos Editor Francesco Rampino decided to propose the name change after overhearing students discussing the section in Brennan Hall. As Rampino was speaking with his friends, he noticed that they dismissed the then-Faith and Thought section due to its name alone.
“I felt that those types of remarks were a little unfair to the contributors who’d worked so hard that issue to create great articles, and that they should be given the same interest as the other writers for the other sections of the paper,” said Rampino.
Rampino feels that changing the section name to Logos will connect more with students, better serving them by providing a “fuller understanding of the beauty of faith” through “logical and reasonable means.”
Managing Editor Liam McConnell, Editor-in-Chief Josh Scott, and Rampino were involved in the discussion concerning the name change. McConnell ultimately decided on the name Logos.
“I chose this name because of its several definitions, which allows the section to represent students of religious and non-religious backgrounds,” said McConnell.
Logos is a Greek word meaning ‘discourse’ and ‘thought,’ among other definitions. In philosophy, the word refers to “the rational principle that governs and develops the universe.” In theology, it means “the divine word or reason incarnate in Jesus Christ.”
“Students can therefore interpret the term, and engage with the section, as they see fit,” said McConnell. “The word ‘Logos’ has inspired reasoned discourse for centuries. It’s our hope that the ‘Logos’ section will continue that tradition.”
Rampino said that there won’t any significant changes to the content of the section, but contributors “will be writing their articles in a fashion that speaks to the reason of the students.”
Scott said this change won’t alter the operations or practices of the rest of The Mike, but he hopes it will inspire the current and future mastheads of The Mike to consider the responses of readers and take more creative risks.
“We hope to provide an inclusive space for wide array of students to thoughtfully discuss and explore diverse conceptions of faith and belief with a wider audience,” said Scott. “As the only U of T student newspaper with a section dedicated to faith-based discussion, we’re uniquely situated to do just that.” Scott emphasized that the change remains conscious of SMC’s identity as a Catholic college and the fact that its membership consists of student from a wide variety of faiths.
Rampino said that the responses to the name change have “been nothing but positive” so far.
“The remarks and messages I’ve received about the name change from my peers have been more enthusiastic as well as numerous than I thought they’d be,” said Rampino.
The SMC administration declined The Varsity’s request for comment, citing The Mike’s editorial independence from the college.
