Uphill battles can be won only if those in the fight form a bond and work together to accomplish their goals. As long as the group understands and can handle the obstacles it faces, it stands a good chance of success.

This is the very situation facing the students who produce MUSH!, a “progressive, alternative” publication which made its premier at NIU Monday.

They will soon find out—if they haven’t already—that producing a newspaper on a regular basis is no easy task. It is a chore which requires commitment, desire and a drive to get things done. Those who work for the paper must develop a thick skin because newspapering is a business in which daily criticism is a way of life.

The staff of MUSH! faces a walk up a steep hill. The paper’s staff must establish credibility and then maintain it.

Without credibility, a newspaper will have no readers. Without credibility, a newspaper will find it difficult to bring in any advertising revenues. Without credibility, a newspaper might just as well shut down the presses and head for home.

MUSH! has gotten its foot in the door. The first issue raised a few eybrows and got peoples’ attention. And even before the paper came out, the group who put it together did an effective job of publicizing its arrival.

Now the MUSH! staff has to work even harder to continue up the hill. They must avoid pitfalls which have halted similar past attempts at offering NIU a second newspaper. They have to establish and maintain themselves as a viable group—not just some fly-by-night group of reactionaries. And, most importantly, they must let advertisers know running ads with them would be an investment rather than a risk.

If they are lucky, they can get all of these ingredients working in their favor and accomplish their trek up the hill.

The Star wishes the group luck in its endeavors. A little competition is always good. It discourages complacency and forces the competitors to put out the best effort possible rather than resting on their laurels. And that can only lead to a better product in the long run.