And so it begins

As sweating dads lug boxes to Willkie penthouses, a different kind of moving in is happening in Ernie Pyle 120. \nTuesday was the first day of production for the fall IDS staff. We cleaned out desks, hung posters and put out the first paper. Most of us stumbled home around midnight. \n The IDS is a student-run newspaper in every sense of the word. We report, edit and design our news coverage, then put it on our Web site, www.idsnews.com. We sell $2 million of advertising locally and nationally. \nMost important, we are not under the thumb of the University. Although we are an IU auxiliary enterprise, the IDS is financially and editorially independent of the University. This means we receive no student fees (tuition is high enough without our help), and all final news decisions are made by the editor in chief.\nDuring the next five months we'll bring you coverage of events that affect you. We'll serve as a watchdog for your interests and keep you informed every morning.\nWe'll be putting together special coverage for important events, such as the Olympics and Election 2000. Although it sounds like a cheesy TV news promo, when news breaks, we'll be on it. \nBut to accomplish all this, we need you as a partner. Send us your story ideas and letters to the editor. Keep us informed of what is important to you.\nWe will also continue last spring's Listening Tour. So if you have a group or residence hall meeting coming up and want to give us feedback, e-mail us at ids@indiana.edu. \nIf you have an interest in journalism, come work for us. No experience is required, only curiosity. We'll be happy to work hands-on and train you in all the basics. It takes hundreds of students to produce each issue of the paper, and we need all the help we can get.\nWe'll be having an open house from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Friday. Tour the newsroom, meet the editors and and see if we spark an interest. \nOn a similar note, we will also be looking for an ombudsman. This person will serve as our reader advocate, explaining concerns and giving you a voice in the newsroom. When we screw up, the ombudsman will point it out to help us improve. You don't have to be familiar with the paper's inner workings, only with journalism. \nWe have a long tradition of serving the campus community. We are fortunate enough to win national awards on a regular basis. So send us your letters and story ideas. Sign up for a Listening Tour stop. Take a tour of the newsroom on Friday. And most important, pick us up out of a bin every morning and stay informed. \nWe can only succeed with your help.