Returning Cyclones,

 

Welcome back to the land of the Campanile, late nights — some productive and some not — Clone Cones and endless opportunities to ‘choose your adventure.’ For many of you, like it is for me, this year is different.

 

This time around is my last year to soak up everything that comes with being an undergraduate student. And perhaps more importantly, it’s my last year to leave a legacy at Iowa State.

 

Whether or not this is your last year or not, you have an opportunity to leave behind something that makes life better for those in the Iowa State community and all future Cyclones, while also making the first steps to being able to have this kind of impact on the state, nation and world.

 

It’s so easy to get caught up in our own endeavors — whether it’s studying for a test, forming or maintaining quality relationships, reaching a new fitness goal or just doing a hobby we enjoy — and all of those things are great for personal development. But my challenge for you, as I will challenge myself, is think beyond yourself and work to benefit the community at large.

 

The legacy you leave will look entirely different from your classmates, friends or strangers on campus, but find whatever it is and make campus a better place for everyone. For me, I plan to do this as editor in chief of the Iowa State Daily.

 

This year, you’ll see a lot of big things happening at the Daily. We are working on rebranding our print edition, launching a depth reporting team to take a closer look at some issues facing Iowa State, putting a renewed focus on engaging the community and expanding the digital tools you can consume our content on.

 

All of these efforts are to help provide you with better content to educate you, expose you to new perspectives and give you a voice. We hope that the Daily is an important part of your time at Iowa State — and if it isn’t, tell us what we can do better. You are always welcome to email me personally ([email protected]) or stop by to 2420 Lincoln Way, Suite 205, and I’ll show you around.

 

As you work to leave a legacy at Iowa State, make the Daily a part of it. The power of being informed should not be underestimated.

 

Now go out and make a difference with the time you have left here at Iowa State.

 

Sincerely,

Emily Barske

Editor in Chief