Welcome back, Tufts! It's always a little tough to return to classes after a leisurely month-long break, but, hey, look on the bright side: 47 degrees and sunny is definitely not the worst way to start the spring semester on the Hill.
As I combed through the Daily's archives, reading old introductory letters from past editors to gain some inspiration for my own, I noticed a couple of trends. First, there's the token comment about the weather - it's typically either sweltering or freezing at the beginning of each semester, and discussing the extreme highs and lows always seems like a good way to start a conversation (unfortunately, my lead-in was a little less exciting because of the more mild forecast: see above). After the temperature small talk, the editor usually takes a few paragraphs to explain each section of the Daily, which I'll refrain from doing this time around because chances are if you've made it this far, you probably already have a good idea what sorts of topics each section covers (News is ... news, Sports is ... sports. You guys get the gist). And inevitably, most letters include some tired joke about the Sudoku and how the only reason anyone flips through our pages is to get to this addicting logic puzzle.
It's this last bit that startled me. Sure, the Sudoku is great (though I'm more of a crossword kind of girl myself). It's been a saving grace for me in tedious lectures and especially during my long, seemingly endless shifts at Tufts Telefund back in the day. I like the Sudoku. I'm all for the Sudoku.
But the Daily is so much more than just the Sudoku. It's a group of over 120 passionate, dedicated students who work into the wee hours of the morning five days a week. It's a consistent, reliable, professional compilation of the most important news on campus. And it's all for you.
So, readers, here is what I ask of you: read the Daily this semester. Not cover-to-cover, not every word - but do scan our headlines, do look at our photos. Skim a couple of paragraphs (or all of them!) in an article that interests you, and leaf through our sheets of newsprint. Read the Daily to support your peers, who devote hours on end to this organization. Read the Daily to be informed about your surroundings, your school and your community. Read the Daily because we are committed to bringing you the best journalism we possibly can.
And engage with us! If you have opinion about an issue on campus, write an op-ed. If you're disappointed (or impressed) with our coverage, send us a letter to the editor. If you want to write, edit, take photos, help with production, work with social media or even help to recruit advertisers (and meet some pretty awesome people in the process) join our staff.
But first and foremost, read our paper - in any capacity, online at tuftsdaily.com, on Facebook, on Twitter @TuftsDaily, on our blog Jumbo Beat or even, dare I say, in the old-fashioned print version. The Daily exists to serve our readership. So next time you're procrastinating by reading another ridiculous BuzzFeed list or watching mindless YouTube videos, take the time to read an article or two. On your way to the Sudoku, of course.
Sincerely,
Caroline Welch
Editor-in-Chief
