When I wrote my first story for the paper in the summer of 2006 about a homosexual prostitution ring going down in the basement level bathroom of the then-erect University Center, I left thinking I had snuck one past the editors.
It was an attempt at humor - a one-line transition that set up the article's ending quote from an upset student.
"The glory hole has left a bad taste in at least one person's mouth," it read.
The next morning, eager to read my first byline, I woke up early and drove all the way from Germantown to pick up a copy, or 50, of the paper.
As I came to the climax of my masterpiece-well, you can probably see it coming - the line was changed to, "The glory hole has caused concern for at least one upset student."
So now that I'm the editor and I've learned a little about journalistic integrity, I realize why it was taken out. Reporters shouldn't be putting stuff like that in the paper.
It's the editor's job.
Disconnected
The world - especially college students - is more connected than ever. Whether it's a text message from a friend, photos of partying on Facebook or news from a blog from a country with a name you can't spell, no longer are the tech savvy the only ones plugged in to what's going on around the world.
Yet, there seems to be a disconnect right here with the campus community. Most students couldn't tell you whose on the SGA or what they do (which isn't much).
Campus involvement is lacking. When I asked several students who rarely attend campus events, they said it's because they either didn't know about them or, more often, they thought they seemed lame (to put it nicely).
There seems to be little communication between students and The University about decisions that affect students, such as what restaurants will be in the new University Center. With the 10 plus places to eat on campus, I'm sure some students would welcome at least one locally owned non-chain place to dine.
I haven't found one student who was consulted when TBR decided to raise fees 32.5 percent over the summer. Tuition has gone up each year for more than 20 years, but I don't remember an e-mail from President Shirley Raines announcing any hikes.
Many Tiger supporters and fans have called student attendance at this season's basketball games pathetic. Some have even suggested The University downsize the student section and sell the extra seats to non-students. Do they realize the mandatory student athletic fee which pays for those seats, doubled over the summer to $400 per year - at the same time, the price for guest tickets went up.
We at The Daily Helmsman bare much of the blame. If we do our job well, The University will hear the varied and diverse opinions of students and consider them when making decisions. And we as a newspaper should try to tell the school's side of the story and explain how and why decisions were made.
I encourage all students to e-mail us with suggestions, questions, news tips or ideas for stories you would like to see in the paper or write letters to the editor. We will try to publish all letters to the editor, so you can tell your side.
In the fall, the quality of reporting in the paper was raised dramatically from previous semesters, and although we have many first-time writers and reporters on this semester's staff, we will continue to serve as the voice of the students by holding The University accountable and asking the tough questions. We will once again provide in-depth articles, engaging features, investigative pieces, eye-capturing photos and cover all the action with comprehensive sports coverage.
But we have made a few changes. We have worked hard to redesign the paper. The new style allows us to add more content, while improving the readability and overall look of the paper.
While Chuck Norris protects Mike Huckabee on the campaign trail, we've gone back to our Tiger Rag roots to fill the space. Take some time now to enjoy a favorite from the 60s and 70s - The Campus Cutie.
Our new comics by Marc M. from sickanimation.com please me. Don't worry - the crossword and sudoku puzzles haven't vanished - they just won't be on the same page every day. Maybe while searching for them you will actually read some news.
