Summer is the season of new opportunities. That’s what I keep telling myself.

As editor in chief this summer, I’m not exactly sure why I feel this way. Maybe it’s because Gregory Geoffroy will become the 14th president of Iowa State in July. I feel that a new president renews the student body’s hope. A new university president brings new ideas and solutions. That’s the exact same thing I’m trying to bring to the Iowa State Daily.

As you read the paper today, there may be some bylines that you don’t recognize. That’s because there are a couple of new faces in the Daily. These students are fresh faces ready with new ideas for the newspaper. They are young. But they have great ideas. They have goals that will help the Iowa State Daily become the best college newspaper in the nation. And as readers, each of you will see the changes occur.

The Daily’s first goal is all local news, all the time. Some people have the misconception that nothing happens in Ames during the summer months. This is simply not true.

In the Daily’s first summer edition, the pages are covered with local articles.

Check out the articles about President George W. Bush’s visit to Nevada, a goodbye to the legacy of the ISU baseball team, and the administration’s decision to nullify the Coke contract.

The pages will be packed twice a week with in-depth articles educating each of you about Geoffroy’s goals or features focusing on interesting university employees.

In the opinion section, Tim Paluch will lead a page of debate. The award-winning Carmen Cerra will continue to amuse each of us with “Poison Ink.” And guest columns and the point and counterpoint debate between opinion editor Paluch and news editor Zach Calef will help each of you see each side of the political spectrum.

And remember, the opinion page is not just a page for the Daily staff to express their opinions; every ISU student is encouraged to write a letter to the editor. Take the opportunity to voice your opinion.

Bethany Kohoutek, A&E editor, is expanding how each of us looks at arts and entertainment in Ames and the surrounding areas. This section will be the page to turn to for calendars featuring concerts, art exhibits and music festivals. She will keep the A&E section lively with features highlighting local artists. And even with the new extras, the old favorites, such as movie and CD reviews will still be in Thursday editions.

Back in sports, Emily Arthur, sports editor, is working to diversify the sports coverage. She plans to expand coverage to include what an individual can do for recreation in Ames. Plus there will be features on athletes focusing on how to balance life between basketball and books.

But besides filling 10 pages with quality news, don’t forget to turn to the Daily’s Web site for links and extra photos. My goal is to use the Web site as a place to update breaking articles and keep our readers informed.

Overall, I want my readers to pick up each copy of the Daily this summer with the intention of the reading the paper, not turning directly to the crossword puzzle.

As you read more about the campus and Ames, I want each of you to look to the Daily as your source of local news. And in turn each of us is working to serve our readers.

So pick up a copy of the Daily this summer; you won’t regret it.

Michelle Kann is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Garnavillo. She is editor in chief of the Daily.