A toast to the future of the IDS

As the semester comes to a close, I have about six tons of newspapers in my trunk ready to go to the recycling center. One of those papers includes a Wall Street Journal year-end roundup of the big news events of 2001. Some days had no notable news items, others had several. The first day the spring staff took the IDS reins? Four or five world events. Not to mention a Bloomington drug bust and a factory shooting in Goshen, Ind. Well, turns out my friend's friend knew someone in the factory, so that night the IDS had the name of the gunman before the Associated Press did. And that night may well have been the story of the semester. It was hectic, newsy and intense. But between luck, talent and hard work, the staff came through with an excellent paper. Consistently. \nIf I pack four newspapers in my trunk when I leave Bloomington, one will be the edition that came out the day the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center was opened. Planning for that issue paid off when a well-written, well-designed issue commemorated a great day for the Bloomington community. \nAnother highlight was the special edition marking six months since the Sept. 11 attacks on America. We brought readers the accounts of students dealing with the loss of a parent, an alumnus running down the stairs in the World Trade Center and local arts venues experiencing a financial crunch. The special section was evidence of the design renaissance at the paper this semester. \nThen the men's basketball team stunned the campus and nation with their spirited run toward the national championship. After the last game in which they fell short against Maryland, IU students expressed their disappointment -- flagrantly. Police responded with tear gas and IDS reporters and photographers caught more than a whiff. The story recounting the frenzy was reprinted on the New York Times Web site. \nThe Weekend magazine truly came into its own this semester. The people who put it together have fun, and it shows. The magazine has flavor. Liz Beltramini, the talented Weekend editor is headed for Colorado where she will be the managing editor of a Web zine that is about to enter the world of print (www.knotmag.com). \nI join the contingent of IDS seniors who are graduating, and I know I'll be sad as I drive north on SR 37 Sunday. This semester I've worked side by side with a group of bright, funny people facing big issues and tough choices. They have taught me so much. \nMy greatest thanks goes to the past editors at the IDS who held down the desk jobs when I cracked open my first few reporter's notebooks. They guided me through the ropes of IU and the techniques of writing. I stepped up to carry on the tradition, and I am elated to watch the cycle continue. I'm like the grandmother on the sidelines of the softball field, grinning. Some of the people for whom I edited their first story are taking up leadership roles. Stop me before I start constructing patches for an IDS quilt. \nWhen I go back to writing and reporting -- this summer, at the Washington Post -- I'll be reading the IDS with a goofy grin on my face. Because I'll know about the mistakes and missteps, the stress and satisfaction that goes into producing a paper, for all involved. And I'll know exactly what they're feeling.