Ah. A new year, a new Daily, a new job. Well, a new job for me, anyway. (If any of you have a new job, too, congratulations.)

My new job is the opinion editor of the Daily. I went from being a lowly columnist and reporter (no offense to any of the other columnists and reporters) to being the all-powerful Editor of the Opinion Pages. Go me.

I’m just kidding. I still have no real power. I do have a cool title and desk, though.

Anyway, getting this new job has been interesting. Like all things, it has had its ups and downs, and it’s only the first week!

Learning a new job is at times both frustrating and challenging. Sometimes, I think I have the job down and I know what’s going on. However, I sometimes also feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. I hope that’s not too evident in the way these pages look.

So, I guess what I’m saying is: Bare with me for now. If the opinion pages don’t look quite right sometimes, don’t worry — I promise I’ll get better.

But, if the pages aren’t what you’d like them to be, don’t just complain about it to your friends. I expect you to let me know if there are things you want to change.

There are all kinds of ways you, the reader, can make a difference with the Daily.

First of all, you can write for us. If you have strong opinions and a talent for expressing them, stop complaining and start composing. Writing for the Daily is fun and good for your resum‚. So get off your butt and get involved.

Second, you can write to us. I know most of you have responses to stuff printed in these pages. So type out your responses and send them to me! Please make sure that your opinion — whatever that opinion may be — is expressed in the Daily. Keep those letters coming.

Next, you can talk directly to me. If you have a specific comment about something, just let me know. E-mail me, call me, stop by and talk to me — whatever. I would like to hear what you have to say, and there’s no way I can know what you’re thinking if you don’t tell me.

(However, try to be polite. I hate being yelled at.)

There are two other important things you can do as well. On the left side of the page, in the chimney, there are sections entitled Photo Survey and Quick Es which both require your input.

These sections are completely about your views. Both are quick, easy and painless.

The Quick Es are great ways for you to say the crazy things you’ve been thinking without anyone actually knowing you said them. E-mail something funny, dumb, interesting or even serious — one-line blurbs with your year and major. No one knows who sent them, so you’re safe from criticism.

Photo surveys are also important to our pages. It’s always fun to open up the paper and see pictures of your friends answering the question of the day.

Unfortunately, a lot of people have a serious aversion to getting their picture snapped. To these people I say, relax! It doesn’t matter if your hair isn’t perfect. Tomorrow, everyone will have forgotten about what the pictures looked like.

So please, if I accost you and beg you for your picture, humor me. Answer the question, smile for the camera and make my life a lot easier. Trust me, it’s no fun running around in sub-zero weather groveling to people.

So please, be a part of these pages.

I’m involved in the opinion section because I want to hear everyone’s opinions, including all sides of an issue.

But, I can only print the material I receive from you, so if only one side of an important issue is in the paper, it’s not because I’m biased and don’t care about your views. It’s actually because you didn’t tell me what you think. So don’t let that happen.

And, as always, I need to write a small warning to all of you who have very, very strong opinions. Don’t send in a letter simply attacking people in a libelous way. It won’t get printed, because I don’t want to end up in a lawsuit. Also, don’t use unnecessarily obscene language. In 99 percent of the cases, it does nothing to improve your point, and I won’t print that either.

So, those are the ways you can get involved and make my new job really fun. I want this to be a great year for the opinion pages, so please give me a hand.

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Sara Ziegler is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Sioux Falls, S.D. She is the opinion editor of the Daily.