Jessica Lee Associate Editor

Now is the time to speak up. The mission of the Arizona Daily Wildcat is to serve our readers by producing a daily paper that gives you all the stuff you want in a student-run university newspaper. Our readers read the paper for our timely and comprehensive news and sports coverage, stimulating and entertaining commentary and cartoons, arts and entertainment articles, odd facts, crosswords, classified ads and police reports.

Or so we think.

On the back page of today's paper you will find a full-page reader survey. This survey is intended to give you, the reader, a chance to express your daily satisfactions with and complaints about our newspaper. The results of this survey will help Wildcat editors next semester plan the paper's coverage. We encourage you to spend a few minutes to give us your honest feedback.

Completed reader surveys can be dropped off at the Wildcat booth on the Mall. Wildcat staff will be out by the Student Union Memorial Center near the "canyon" from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Thursday to collect the surveys and answer any questions you may have.

The survey will run in the Wildcat today, tomorrow and Thursday. Although staff will only be on the Mall these three days, completed surveys can be submitted by hand or mail anytime this semester to the Wildcat newsroom, 1230 N. Park Ave., Suite 102.

Not on campus or prefer computers? The survey can be found on the Wildcat Online homepage at www.wildcat.arizona.edu.

Want to do more than the crossword?

The Wildcat is looking for dedicated, hardworking and creative students to fill all positions for next semester - news writers, sports writers, opinions columnists, arts and features writers, photographers, cartoonists, copy editors, page designers and webmasters.

It is time to put aside your excuses and try a semester at the Wildcat.

Myth: Only journalism majors can work at the Wildcat.

Fact: Currently, the Wildcat newsroom staff is only 33 percent journalism majors. Wildcat staff members study subjects as varied as history, biology, creative writing, computer science, economics, Spanish and art. The paper is successful because we are a team of students with varying interests and backgrounds.

Myth: You have to have previous newspaper experience to work at the Wildcat.

Fact: Having worked on your high school paper is not a prerequisite to be considered. Sure it is helpful, but the Wildcat editors are willing to train any student who shows a strong interest in learning the job.

Myth: The Wildcat is anti-greek.

Fact: There are several greek staff members who hold positions at the Wildcat. The news desk does its best to provide balanced news coverage on greek issues. By having more greek members on staff, the Wildcat will only be able to improve its coverage of the greek system and its members.

Myth: Students have to have a large amount of free time to work at the Wildcat.

Fact: Most positions at the Wildcat require five to 15 hours per week, but are flexible around your school schedule. Most staffers put in their hours in between classes and at night.

Myth: The Wildcat is the source of news for "white" students.

Fact: The Wildcat is currently working on its coverage of and sensitivity to diversity issues on campus. One way we are hoping to improve is by attracting a more diverse staff. Only about 16 percent of the Wildcat staff are minority students, which is well below the proportion of minority students at the UA. We encourage students from all backgrounds, ethnicities, races and genders to apply.

Myth: You have to be a professional to work at the Wildcat.

Fact: While the Wildcat employs a handful of professional staff (i.e. non-students), the Wildcat's content is put together by a team of more than 100 UA students. The professional staff only oversees distribution, sales and ad design. This crew has absolutely no control over editorial content. Rather, the person who makes all final decisions in the newsroom is editor in chief Jeff Sklar, a journalism and political science senior. From research to writing, to editing to layout, the Wildcat is a student endeavor.

Myth: If you are not a good writer, the Wildcat doesn't want you.

Fact: Not all positions require writing skills. Photographers, designers, webmasters and cartoonists need not have writing expertise.

Applications are available online, in the newsroom, and for the next three days, on the Mall. If you have any questions about employment at the Wildcat, please stop by our booth this week or contact me via e-mail.

The bottom line is that the Wildcat is a team of students that works hard to provide our readers with the best university paper possible. But the success of the Wildcat cannot continue without fresh faces and feedback from our readers. Please stop by the Mall today, tomorrow and Thursday to drop off your reader surveys and meet staff face-to-face.

Jessica Lee is an environmental science senior. She can be reached at advocate@wildcat.arizona.edu.