Let’s state the obvious, we’re back again. Welcome back.

It’s that perfect time of year when classes aren’t yet intense enough to care, it’s still good to see everyone and you can still go out wearing sandals.

It’s the time of year where I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the continental United States — basically there is no excuse not to have fun.

Even though most of you know what this section of the Daily is all about, I want to update you about what changes and plans we have in store for you guys over the next semester.

First of all, our annual renaming will soon be in full effect — last year alone we went from “A&E” to “Features” and now to “Pulse.”

I know it’s hard to keep up, but I can tell you with 80 percent certainty that “Pulse” will still be alive at the end of the semester.

Names aside, I want to update you on some of the new things we’re going to be trying this semester.

First, you’ll notice that our new desk editor, Alex Switzer, is premiering, in this issue, the first of his “Due West” columns. They will focus on his various opinions about film and the state of the silver screen culture.

We also have decided to be more interactive with the student body and that’s why we are going to start a weekly “15 Minutes” story in which we will profile someone notable around campus and tell you about what they do and what they’re into.

One of the new features I’m most excited about is going to be called “WTF.” Basically, it’s our chance to do something unusual and share the results. I’m not going to say too much about it, but I can tell you it’s going to be worth a read.

You might also notice some changes to our weekly insert, “Highnote.” We’re changing the way we write about the bands making their way through central Iowa. Now instead of longer stories about the band, the stories will be shorter and more focused on the interesting stuff alone. In addition, we are going to include sidebars about the bands that will give a discography and a list of other bands they’ve toured with.

In addition, we’ve added a new CD review that will highlight an album we feel should be a crucial part of any music collection. We’ll try our best to focus on the seminal albums from many genres of music.

Basically, this is the section that I feel can connect with the students more so than any other page simply because what we cover is a reflection of what we’re into collectively. That said, if you think there is something we’re missing, don’t just complain to your friends about how much we suck. Get on the phone, on the computer or just come in and tell us what you think. And if you think you could do this better than us, fill out an application and join the ranks. We’re looking for new writers with fresh ideas. This could totally be your section – here’s your chance.