Vantaggi
You can write columns for a large audience, and get excellent writing experience, the other columnists can have a lot of information to share, and you'll make permanent connections with people who are going far in journalism - the Diamondback is well-respected and highly prestigious.
Svantaggi
You will have to earn respect to reduce the unconsulted edits on your writing. Consider this experience.
There is virtually no pay.
The University students do not realize the quality of their daily newspaper in comparison to other university newspapers nationwide, so you may endure some abuse, especially from vocal trolls. But that can honestly be kind of fun if you have thick skin.
Some of the other columnists are total dolts, and the newspaper has skewed in recent years to aggressive feminism, which can be damaging to the paper's sterling reputation. On the other hand they have never put undue pressure on the conservative columnists. As a liberal columnist I can't speak on that for sure.