When I decided to accept the position as acting editor, I did not know much about how a newspaper was run. All I knew was what I liked, what I didn’t like and what could be improved.

 In recent years, The Ranger Rocket has been a good paper, but it was still missing the mark. When reading the paper, I would glance at the news, entertainment and feature sections, but I really enjoyed reading the sports and opinion sections most.

 Why is that? Quite frankly, I didn’t care. A lot of the articles did not have an affect on me whatsoever. There were a lot of well-written articles, but they either did not pertain to the school or to me as a student. There was way too much fluff that had absolutely nothing to do with the college or the community. I realized that the missing factor from a good paper to a great paper was how the story relates to you—the student, administrator, faculty member and reader. There needed to be more substance, something that would prompt a reaction whether it be agreeable or disagreeable.  A reaction. 

 There were too many movie, music and game reviews that people were going to pay for regardless of what “random” staff reporter wrote. There was too much emphasis placed on articles that did not relate to the college. Granted, those articles are nice to read, but I read the Rocket to find out what was happening around me. If I really want to find out if “Snakes on a Plane” is a good movie, I’ll find out what Ebert’s and Roper’s thumbs have to say.

 I felt there were a lot of good topics that were not being covered by the paper, so I decided to write about what I and other students were discussing around campus.

 I wanted to write the stories that needed to be written to promote change, to help the school evolve and constantly better itself; just as Northwest students do every day. It is too easy to get comfortable and not push yourself without someone pushing you or holding your feet to the fire. This year it is my goal to stoke that fire, to report what is important to you, the reader.

 I want to give the paper back to its readers, but I need help. The newspaper staff can’t always know what’s important to you; we only have ideas from our own experiences.

 That is where you come in. We need your input. If you read something in the Rocket and have an opinion, we would love to have it, good or bad. Any ideas for news, features, opinions . . . anything that you think is of importance, please let us know. If you would like to rebut an opinion, or just say, “Hey, I love what you’re doing,” please do.

 The Ranger Rocket is Northwest’s newspaper, which means it’s just as much yours as it is mine. And if you see me around on campus and you like what I have to say, please let me know.