As you will read below, I’ve stopped writing for the O-A News. They have a policy, I’m told, that they do not publish farewell columns. So I’m posting this on my home page and have sent it to hundreds of readers. Thanks for your interest. Feel free to share.

Cutchins final commentary - August, 2009

In the spring of 1992, the managing editor of this paper reported that the paper’s readership advisory board had concluded there “was a perceived blandness on our editorial page… You don’t take positions, we were told. You’re white bread and Muzak.”

I had written several letters to the editor previously and was surprised when the managing editor called me and asked if I would consider writing a conservative column. “With Cutchins’ column we believe the dialogue will be a little more evenhanded…We’re not where we want to be yet. But Cutchins and some of our other plans will take us a couple of steps closer.”

This past May, the O-A News was named the state’s best small daily for the 5th consecutive year (and the 6th time in the last seven). Best Editorial Page was among the awards. Perhaps my columns had nothing to do with these awards, but now that over 17 years of my column have been completed, I think it’s time to let someone else meet the regular deadlines. It has been a real privilege to express my opinions on numerous topics. The challenge has made me read widely, which I intend to continue. One of the most useful techniques over the years was to start several electronic files on my home computer, then return to them as the issues became clearer and they became more of a “hot button” issue. Of course, some ended up being discarded.

The number of words per column has gradually decreased over the years. Early on, some columns were a total of 24 inches length (spread out to 3 column-widths). Now they have become for nearly all columnists less than 500 words, one column about 14 inches long. (As Jefferson noted to a friend, “I’m sorry to send you such a long letter, but I didn’t have time to write a shorter one.”)

Interestingly, there was a time when disks physically had to be delivered to the office (before e-mail). Some columns did not require a lot of time; some did. Some critics forget that columns appear on an OPINION page.

At seventy-four, there are some other goals to which I aspire. One is a possible book with a title something like, “Sixty years of competitive, full-court basketball.” I’ll reach that sixty years this fall, Lord willing. There are some other venues of writing that don’t have a weekly deadline. I’d like to be more active as an Elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA). I’d like to get my golf handicap (senior tees) down a few more strokes to a single digit. With my bride of almost ten years who has had a marvelous recovery from breast cancer (thanks to our excellent health care system and many prayers), I expect to spend more vacation time. Then there are my 2 sons and a daughter and their spouses, and the seven grandchildren, six of ‘em boys.

While not an accurate record, I estimate the number of columns to be over 860. That’s over half a million words. Thanks to all those who offered compliments. And to those who said, “I don’t always agree with you, but I enjoy your column.”

Dr. Malcolm Cutchins is an emeritus professor of engineering of Auburn University and has written a weekly column for The Opelika-Auburn News since 1992.