Hello Cyclones,

It’s nice to meet you. My name is Annelise Wells (but most people call me Annie) and I am the editor-in-chief of the Iowa State Daily for the 2019-2020 school year.

I am originally from Naperville, Illinois and am a junior double majoring in journalism and mass communication and international studies. I joined the Daily staff before I started as a freshman here, so you could say I was eager to get started.

I started out as a reporter for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and learned so much about the importance of agriculture in the state of Iowa, especially the impact it has on Iowa State’s campus. My sophomore year I moved up to be the news editor of academics and spent my year telling stories from every college on campus. It was like taking a crash course in every major. Throughout my year in that position, I learned so much about the ins and outs of academics at Iowa State.

I decided to apply for the position of editor-in-chief because throughout my two years on staff, I learned that my passion is serving the community through journalism. Working with students every day inside and outside the newsroom is my dream job, and I am so lucky to have that opportunity. 

Our print product is available on newsstands throughout campus five days a week and our newly redesigned Daily Dose newsletter hits your inbox every morning. Make sure to follow us on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with our latest content.

Improving our digital presence is a main goal of mine for this year. We are planning to continue our podcasts and come out with more videos to help provide more multimedia content for you all to engage with.

I also want to continue our diversity and inclusion initiatives through our Voices section in our print and online presence and our live storytelling events, Daily Dialogues.

It is also a busy time in Iowa when it comes to politics. Our goal is to provide you with complete, fair and holistic coverage, news, updates and analysis of everything as we approach caucus season.

Additionally, I hope that some of you take advantage of all that the Iowa State Daily offers. On the editorial side, we are always looking for reporters, copy editors, photographers and videographers. In the opinion section, you can become a columnist, join the editorial board or send in a letter to the editor.

We are always growing and learning and want feedback from you. Feel free to reach out to me individually, at [email protected], or stop by 2420 Lincoln Way Suite 205 for a tour of the newsroom. I am always willing to grab a cup of coffee and discuss our news process.

The Iowa State Daily is here to serve you, and if we aren’t, we want to know how we can improve. Here’s to a great semester, Cyclones.