Starting new, early

On a good day, our newsroom is loud and chaotic -- maybe like Hoosier Courts on Kinser Pike during a normal weekend. But for the rest of this week, our home in Ernie Pyle 120 will be like the Varsity Villas during Little 500 weekend.\nIt feels like state excise police officers are trying to bust down the side door and I think I saw our dirty leather couch on fire. I might have even seen someone try to go photograph Tuesday's baseball game but couldn't get past the copy editors, who were engaged in an "Anchorman"-like bloodfest.\nSo, if today's Indiana Daily Student is a little rough around the edges, please, cut us some slack. And the next day. And the next day.\nThis is the time of year we call "dry runs." We know the jokes about the term (we've made them ourselves) -- it sounds like a medical condition you wouldn't want. I don't know why, but the nights before our final Wednesday, Thursday and Friday papers of each semester have been graced with that awful moniker.\nBut dry run days offer the 2006 summer and fall IDS staffs a chance to learn their upcoming jobs. Since we change editors each semester, it is important to have current editors help the next editors learn the system. Continuity through training is more important at our paper than traditional work places because we turnover our staff each semester.\nSince I was one of this semester's campus desk editors, I help Trevor Brown learn the ropes for summer and fall, as well as his fall co-editor Carrie Ritchie. They must take the skills they've learned at other desks this semester and apply them to our most important news desk -- campus. \nAt the same time, I have to learn my new job, art director. I've worked closely with my predecessor Mark Koenig since we both started here. Now it's my turn to make you want to pick up the IDS and view our Web site, www.idsnews.com. But you shouldn't notice too many seams, even though you're reading the product of our first day on the job. In fact, we hope you will not even notice beyond reading this column. We still believe we can convey the most important news in the most efficient fashion. More importantly, we are excited for the opportunity to do just that. But we need your help to do our jobs well.\nWe need you to tell us about our mistakes, and I don't mean just misspellings. Tell us when your friends, organization or topic deserves coverage. When we fail to cover what you tell us about, let our readers know: E-mail letters@indiana.edu and have your ideas read in our opinion forum every Thursday. \nEven though we might need a little slack this week, we need and expect your input next semester and over the summer. You can let us know how we can improve (or tell us how well we are doing) by calling us at 855-0760 or e-mailing us at ids@indiana.edu.