The Daily Illini is about you. It’s about me. It’s about the campus we share, the world we live in, and the information we need and want. The Daily Illini is your guide to life beyond the classroom and the dorm, your insider with the administration and your best source for the news that matters, however you want to receive it. As editor in chief, I intend to lead this news organization with its long tradition of accomplished, independent and informative journalism further into the age of information.

No longer will The Daily Illini be just a series of daily productions. Instead, we will continue to travel further out of our comfort zone as we expand. DailyIllini.com will continue to evolve by offering an ever-changing view of our campus as events unfold, rather than after they’re over.

Our On-Air coverage on WPGU 107.1 FM will continue to grow as well. With news, sports and entertainment being broadcast and posted during what is practically a 24-hour news cycle, our predecessors have laid the groundwork to provide coverage for a campus that never sleeps.

We will, however, continue to improve our overall image on campus, striving to become more than just the college paper.

As I write this, the staff is currently scrambling to assemble my first edition. This process has been laced with technical issues beyond our control. Apparently this is the curse of the new editor – an issue consumed by production problems, and a disheartening cloud looming over the staff after a long, helpless night. With any other group, I would be worried about the quality of the publication and the sanity of the staff, but these people are in rare form as they use slow work arounds to do their jobs.

This staff has never stopped. And whether its covering the Chief’s retirement with half a staff on a late Thursday night or trudging through a blizzard just to get into work despite the urge to build snowmen, you should know that they never intend to.

I am proud to follow Se Young Lee into this post, and excited for the stories to come. I know that we will continue to develop and to learn as all those before us did.

My only hope is that you, the reader, will level with us from time to time, as you always have.

Let us know if you love or hate a columnist or a cartoon. Comment on a story online. Write a Letter to the Editor for publication. The media has for too long been a one-sided conversation, and my first priority as editor is to change that. Free flow of ideas, openness to insight and an entertainment of conversation are what I believe allow for a truly effective press.

The press and the people must forge a relationship on this campus that moves beyond the normal give and take and into an era of understanding. I’m not going to lie – mistakes will be made along the way.

Former Daily Illini editor in chief Jack Mabley has stated openly that he is proud to know that, during his tenure, The Daily Illini never ran a correction or apology. I find that, while quite a record, this is not a feat that I would ask my staff to strive for.

I want to hear mutual, constructive conversation in both the newsroom and the classroom. I want to foster a relationship where we can make simple mistakes and be called on them, and also be complimented and encourage conversation when we do something well.

In essence, this new editor is asking for a little effort from everyone. You as an audience should get involved. We as a company will do our best, and I fully hope that, somehow, I can contribute to both.