As Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Egyptian, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Spring 2014 edition of your student newspaper.

This publication has existed for nearly 100 years as an open forum for student expression and an independent student voice — and it is going to stay that way.

Being a full-time student and a journalist is no easy task. We would not spend hours on end in our office, or frantically chasing down stories and meeting deadlines, if journalism was not something we feel passionately about. This is a job based in passion, not monetary gain. As Daily Egyptian employees, we are expected to be the impartial voice for the faculty, students and community by reporting with fairness and accuracy. It is in our ethical code to report the news objectively and without bias.

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However, we are human beings, and we are not perfect. Yes, there will be days when a headline has a spelling error, or punctuation is in the wrong place. But even on those days, the Daily Egyptian is something I will proudly stand behind.

Taking on this position for two consecutive semesters is what some people might consider crazy. Leading this staff, reporting on the happenings of this university and community and doing it every single day is by no means easy. But it is always exciting, always changing, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

That being said, I hope you enjoy what we have to offer you this semester.

If you recall, on Dec. 2 the Undergraduate Student Government approved a $9 student-publication fee, that, should the Board of Trustees approve, will begin in the 2014-2015 school year.

For several decades, the Daily Egyptian has remained one of the few student newspapers that operates independently of university financial support. However, we are not immune to the same economic downfalls that affect every other newspaper in the country. We hope this fee can bring the Daily Egyptian to its fullest potential as a trusted news source, and valuable student publication.

We understand now more than ever that we are accountable to the students. The Daily Egyptian is your newspaper, and we owe it to you to offer a news outlet that stays with the times. This semester we hope to bridge the gap between us, and our student readers.

In future editions of the Daily Egyptian you can expect to see a calendar with events on campus as well as in the community. We understand getting the word out about events that occur at this university is important, and that is what we hope to accomplish with the new calendar. Feel free to submit your events to [email protected].

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You can expect to see staff columns on a daily basis in hopes that our readers get to know our writers beyond a simple byline. We are revamping our opinion page and hope to fill it with the content of our employees as well as our readers. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, or an opinion piece, don’t hesitate to let us know. Communication is a two-way street, and we welcome you to join the conversation. Send your ideas to [email protected].

Our web presence is something we hope to amplify this semester. Beginning this Friday you will see the first edition of the e-DE, or electronic Daily Egyptian—which will feature exclusively web-based content that we are unable to deliver in a print based platform. We plan to venture into every avenue of technology, including podcasts and multimedia production.

Not only will you find the Daily Egyptian in print and on the web, but also on your phone. Whether it is through our free mobile app, on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, the DE is always at your fingertips. Our new sports Twitter will feature live coverage of all Saluki sports and audio from post-game interviews. Stay updated by following them @DEsalukis, or @dailyegyptian.

The field of journalism is facing a revolution, and as terrifying as that may be, I am thrilled to be a part of it. There will be plenty of bumps along the way, plenty of good days and bad, but no matter what kind of news is being printed, or who is paying for it, I will do everything in my power to ensure our news is of the highest quality. The Daily Egyptian is nearly a century old, and is the kind of legacy I hope to see thrive for years to come.