Welcome to spring semester 1997.

I hope you’ve all come down from your Egg Nog/champagne/ going-to-kill-your-siblings buzz. If not, tough. You’ve got classes again, boys and girls, and that darn enrollment validation thing — that nasty section of the student handbook that forces you to class either the first or second session — is hanging over your head.

Must —- go —- to —- class.

Regardless whether you make it to your Bio 109 lecture, your ever-in-the-news student newspaper is up and running for yet another semester of enlightenment. Actually, our mission isn’t nearly that philosophical, but nonetheless, we’re here and we’re publishing.

As with most college newspapers, the Daily’s editorial positions were not exempt from several shifts between semesters. So you’ll know who to call with a hot news tip, to take issue with a columnist or (God forbid) to point out an error, I’ll run through the ranks.

Back for an encore at the helm, for better or worse, is me. Chris Miller, a senior from Marshalltown (Go Bobcats), is the editor. I know this guy pretty well, so be nice to him. You can reach me at 4-4120.

Keesia Wirt, a junior from Panora, is our head news editor. Keesia’s title has been jumbled slightly from last semester, but she has essentially the same duties, overseeing the Daily’s output of university and city news. Keesia can be reached at 4-2003.

Joining Keesia on the news staff are John Mullen, a senior from Waterloo, and Tracy Deutmeyer, a junior from Dyersville. John and Tracy will be responsible for assigning, editing and writing news stories.

John is a Daily veteran who was with us last semester and has served as our lifestyles editor in past terms. Tracy is a cut of the broadcast bone who worked as our College of Liberal Arts and Sciences beat reporter in the fall. John can be reached at 4-5480. Tracy can be reached at 4-5780. Give these two a call with your story ideas.

Back, too, as the Daily’s managing editor is your favorite got-to-get-a-date talking, Cy-Ride riding, telling-the-thing-is Scott Jacobson. Scott, a continuing senior from Nevada, is responsible for much of the Daily layout and behind-the-scenes administrative work. Scott will also continue his “weekly journal” this semester. Tune in for the latest on all of ISU’s mystery girls. He can be reached at 4-3557.

The Daily’s lifestyles desk has some similar faces but juxtaposed titles. Both Corey Moss, a sophomore from Urbandale, and Kris Fettkether, a senior from Ankeny, are back.

Corey takes over the captain’s chair this semester as our lifestyles editor. Kris, who wishes “to enjoy” her final semester as a Cyclone, is the assistant lifestyles editor. Corey and Kris are responsible for providing coverage of arts and entertainment-type stories. Some call this “soft news,” but who are we to judge? You can get Corey at 4-4163 and Kris at 4-3229.

Mr. enthusiasm himself — Tim Frerking, a senior from Pomeroy — makes the jump from news to opinion this semester. Tim takes over for the departed Tim Davis (now taking Broadway by storm) as editor of the editorial pages. Tim will lay out and edit opinion copy and supervise the Daily’s columnists. He can be reached at 4-3148.

Heading the Daily’s sports desk is the man who would marry Troy Davis if the law allowed it, the “genuinely funny” Chad Calek. Chad, a junior from Persia, has served as the Daily’s assistant sports editor for the better part of the century. He can be reached at 4-2533.

Chad’s assistant is elevated colum-nist/sports writer Brandon Belisle, a sophomore from Plainfield, Ill. You can get Brandon at 4-2034.

Making the leap from Daily weather girl to faculty and staff editor is Jen Young, a junior from Jamaica (Iowa, that is). Jen will fill page three of the Daily with faculty and staff news four times a week. And she’ll still let us know when it’s snowing. Jen can be reached at 4-3690.

Then there are the picture people, or photography editors. Some here at the Daily call these guys the hippies, but other than Mike Faas’ striking resemblance to Jesus Christ, I’m not sure where that label came from.

Faas, a senior from Marshalltown, Mike King, a senior from Ankeny, and Andrea Melendez, a senior from Essex, are responsible for all of the Daily’s photo functions. They can be reached at 4-1469 or 4-4051.

And there are lots of others, from beat reporters to staff writers to copy editors to graphic artists to staff photographers to on-line people. But to mention everyone would take a little too much time, and the sad truth is, you probably don’t care.

I hope you find this semester’s editions of the Daily informative and stimulating. If you have comments, questions or concerns, feel free to call one of the editors. The Daily is, after all, your student newspaper, so we do value your input.

Now get to class.

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Chris Miller is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Marshalltown. He is the editor-in-chief of the Daily.