A semester to remember

Every semester, the editorial staff of the Indiana Daily Student changes. Today's paper is the last publication by the spring semester staff -- the summer staff steps up to bat next, and their first paper will hit the stands Friday. \nIn the meantime, the IDS will take a break for some much-needed time to rest and gear up for finals, just like the rest of the campus.\nMany editors fill this space with memorable moments from their semester as editor in chief. Coverage-wise, nothing stands out in my mind as the defining moment. The staff has worked together the entire semester to bring you, the reader, the best coverage possible. It is a difficult job, especially when about 93 percent of the campus population is reading. We appreciate the trust you put in us to bring you your news day in and day out, and everyone at the IDS strives to meet your expectations.\nWe work six days a week -- five days of publication and one day of staff meetings and planning -- to bring you the newspaper you pick up on your way to class. That much dedication and stress (many of us here work 40-60 hours a week, in addition to taking a full load of classes!) is bound to inspire many dramatic and humorous moments. \nManaging editor Andy Gammill and I were locked in the IDS conference room for several hours. The unfortunate timing of this catastrophe was what prevented us from being rescued sooner -- it was April 1, and no one believed that we were really stuck inside. It took an hour of begging and screaming before anyone called for a locksmith, and another hour for the locksmith to arrive and pass us tools, through the ceiling and over the wall, to take the door off its hinges.\nMost editors hope for big news events to happen during their tenure, but no one expects that they will become the news story themselves. This happened last semester when the IDS hosted Bob Knight's farewell speech, and it happened again this semester when the IDS accepted a controversial political advertisement from David Horowitz. The advertisement, and the IDS through association, was met with outrage and anger by part of the IU community. \nAlthough I uphold that it is the IDS' obligation to publish political advertisements, I do admire those who stood outside the steps of Ernie Pyle Hall and the Sample Gates protesting our decision. It takes great courage and conviction to stand up for what you believe in, and the students and faculty members who protested the IDS showed both those principles. The open dialogue and debate about reparations that ensued is a testament to the IU community.\nI have enjoyed my time at the helm of the IDS. I am now turning it over to Peter Gelling, who is the summer editor in chief. We worked together as managing editors last semester, and I know he will do an excellent job. \nThanks for putting your trust in the IDS to bring you your daily news, and keep reading!