Welcome to my little allotted space in the Daily. Usually in this spot on Fridays I talk about issues, but I thought I’d take a break from my usual opinion spouting to introduce myself.

You could probably call it peer pressure, since introductions are a common theme on the opinion page this week. But I think it’s a good idea to begin a new semester with an introduction, because then you as the reader can decide next week whether it’s worth spending time reading that particular column again.

So getting to the introduction, I’m Jonquil and this is my third semester writing columns for the Daily. As the words under my picture tell you, I’m a senior in community and regional planning. I get to leave good old ISU in May. Yep, that’s right, I’m graduating.

I usually write about political, social or environmental issues and current events that catch my attention, but I’ve been known to write about pop culture and local news.

I tend to write from a progressive point of view — or try to anyway — and remain open to any topic I think would create provocative dialogue or thoughts among readers.

The topics I choose to cover in my columns are reflections of my own interests and are influenced by the people and events of our time that have impacted, inspired or touched my life in some way.

With this in mind, I suppose it would be fair warning to tell you who and what has affected my life.

I’m a country girl at heart — raised in Iowa like a lot of ISU students — and respect and love animals and the land.

Because of my background, issues like urban sprawl, hog lots, corporate farming, preservation of family farming and sustainable agriculture are important to discuss and find solutions for.

Directly in contrast with the country girl side is the bohemian side of me. My social views have been shaped by the music of Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. (I proudly display on my living room wall my two most prized possessions: tickets to the last two Dead shows in Chicago.)

Authors like Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey and Tom Wolfe as well as literary geniuses like J.D. Salinger, Alice Walker and Edward Abbey guide my ideas and writing and often provide poignant quotes to end a column.

Politically, I admire people like Ralph Nader, Winona LaDuke, Jesse Jackson, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and anyone who’s down with revolutionary socialism. (Just kidding. I’m not quite that left of center. I’m close, but not that far … yet.)

But I don’t admire just liberals. A Republican with good ideas, such as Rudy Guiliani, the mayor of New York City, can gain my respect, too.

Now, I realize I may have turned some people away with these revelations about myself; however, try to be open-minded for two reasons.

One, it’s always good to be open-minded and two, I try to be open-minded in my columns.

I still have apolitical and even conservative friends and relatives. I’m open to any ideology as long as it’s well thought out and supported with relevant facts rather than misinformation.

But my columns won’t all be about serious issues. Discussing politics all the time would get frustrating, and discussing environmental issues all the time would get depressing.

Now and then you’ll see a column ranting or raving about something in the world of pop culture. Even though I think most of the stuff found in the movies, on T.V. or in popular magazines is ear candy, there is stuff worthy of discussion out there, too.

For instance, Woody Harrelson. Woody is the man — a great actor who’s been arrested more than once for acts of civil disobedience saving redwood forests or planting hemp seeds.

And even some of the so-called junk can be entertaining. Would you believe I’m a “Dallas” addict? I’m hooked on the schemes of J.R. Ewing and have even skipped class to find out the next twist in the plot. Sad, isn’t it?

So that’s all, folks. That’s me.

It’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about a lowly Daily columnist, but then if you made it through to this point, maybe, just maybe, you’re the kind of person who too is down with revolutionary socialism.

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Jonquil Wegmann is a senior in community and regional planning.