Editor says: Change is good

To all recovering from their summer, welcome back to the grind. We can now look forward to the beginning of a great new school year. With every new beginning comes change-new students, new professors, for some, a new school, and in this case, a new Bridge Editor-in-chief. My name is Monica Luna, and if there’s one thing I want you to know about me, it’s this-I love working for this newspaper. My experience with The Bridge began in Mr. Mark Webber’s Journalism class in Spring 2007. As his student, I was required to submit work for The Bridge. A couple of published articles and a final exam later, I realized I would miss writing for the newspaper. When Fall semester arrived, I applied for and was hired as a Bridge Staff Writer for the 2007-2008 academic year. Writing for the newspaper provided me with many rewarding opportunities to be involved with campus activities and to meet different people. During this time, I heard countless interesting stories, and often, students approached me with their suggestions for topics and events to cover in my articles. These students motivated me to include their voices in my work. The Bridge is, after all, a student newspaper-written for students by students. I sought the editor position for The Bridge because I care about the newspaper’s future. I envision The Bridge as a networking tool that creates a campus community and gives students a forum to express their views. With that said, I am extending an invitation to all students. You are all more than welcome to share your requests, questions, and thoughts about campus life or the newspaper-whatever moves you, let us at The Bridge know about it. The staff and I are committed to creating a quality newspaper that reflects students’ interests; however, we can only do so much on our own. It is now up to you to contribute. I’d like to thank the Village residents who voiced their concerns to Bridge Staff Writer Cinthia Sierra. Hopefully, their courage will inspire you and others to share concerns about the university either through interviews with staff reporters or your own submissions. Standing up to be heard can be intimidating, but we at The Bridge strive to acknowledge and respect varying points of view. This invitation is extended to faculty and staff as well. Undoubtedly, your input is valuable, so feel free to address the student body by contributing. Our email addresses are bridgeeditor@tamiu.edu and journalism@tamiu.edu; our telephone number is 956-326-2472; and our office is located in Pellegrino Hall 312. Please contact us! Hearing from you makes my job fun and easy. I hope you enjoy this issue of The Bridge. Flip through the pages, and tell us what you think.Cheers!Monica LunaBridge Editor-in-Chief