Commentary: We're here for you


By Saul Loeb
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Readers are top priority for Daily Wildcat

Recently, I was asked why I wanted to become editor in chief of the Wildcat. It didn't take me long to respond. I want to make the Wildcat better.

No small task. And no easy one, either.

But more than 100 student reporters, editors, columnists, photographers, designers and others have come together with that mission in mind. We want to improve the Wildcat, and improve it we shall. Improve it for you, our readers.

Readers are the most important thing to any newspaper. The Wildcat is no exception. Without you, we would be nothing. The Wildcat wouldn't exist.

Over the course of the next semester, the Wildcat will do everything it can to become more relevant to your everyday lives. If something happens, rest assured, we'll be there covering it. We'll be there gathering the facts, in a truthful, unbiased and factually accurate way, and getting them to you.

And things will be happening. From the possibility of more tuition hikes coupled with potential budget cuts, to the quest for another men's basketball championship - and anything and everything in between - we'll stay on top of it. But we will do more than just "stay on top of it." We will dive into the key issues, find out why they are significant and identify the short- and long-term effects they will have on students, faculty and the campus community.

But that just scratches the surface of what's to come.

Our sports staff is working hard to make sure you know everything that is going on with Wildcat sports. We'll look for the little things and analyze the big games. And coverage will not just be limited to men's basketball. Look for stories on sports large and small. We'll also be catching up with former UA players and coaches to see what they've been up to since leaving Wilbur country.

The Wildcat will look and feel similar to last semester's editions. But that doesn't mean things aren't changing. Tomorrow, GoWild is back as the Wildcat's weekly entertainment guide, chock-full of everything you need to know to have fun this week. The Thursday section has been given a facelift and includes a more comprehensive guide to the happenings of the UA campus and events about town. We've also added tips and hints for the under-21 crowd so they can join in on the fun that Tucson has to offer.

LiveCulture, now appearing Mondays and Wednesdays, will showcase what students do when they're not in class. And starting Jan. 21, "Under Covers," a new column dealing with sex, dating and relationships, will debut.

On Fridays throughout the semester, the opinions section will take on a new lighthearted tone with the addition of a humor column, satirical campus news and news especially important to the campus community.

But improvements aren't just limited to the Wildcat's print edition. Go online to wildcat.arizona.edu for content not found on the newspaper racks. Breaking news updates, photo spreads and multimedia all grace the pages of Wildcat Online.

We've been hard at work to make the Wildcat the best it can possibly be for our readers. We want the Wildcat to be in tune with you. But we need your help. Give us a call or drop us an e-mail and let us know what you think we're doing right, and what you think we're doing wrong.

Even better, stop by and let us know in person. Over the winter break, the Wildcat's newsroom relocated halfway down North Park Avenue to our new home in the revamped Park Student Union. We hope the west campus location will keep us up to date with the little corner of the world we share.

Whether you read the Wildcat between classes, during lunch, with your morning coffee or online, remember one thing: We're here for you.