Welcome back to reality, NIU. Our five-week winter break is over and it’s time to get the dust off the notebooks and get back in gear.

The Northern Star has been working hard to prepare for the spring semester. Not only does the Star have a new editor in chief, but also several other new editors who are eager to serve the needs of the NIU and DeKalb communities. The Star is NIU’s No. 1 information source, and the news staff is devoted to provide something for everyone to read in the Star.

The Star wouldn’t have any news if it weren’t for the members of the communities it serves. That said, there are multiple ways for individuals and organizations to get news and information in the newspaper. The Star makes a great effort to accommodate as many people as possible, but with hundreds of organizations and 25,000 students on campus, the paper is limited in what can be covered.

Starting in the fall semester, the Star began a new feature on page 6, “FYI,” that lists brief descriptions of events happening on campus and in the community. Forms to get news in this section can be filled out either at our office in the Campus Life Building, Suite 130, or online at www.northernstar.info.

The Star has two e-mail addresses that are available for news tips, story ideas, and letters to the editor. Any story suggestions should be e-mailed to [email protected] and letters to the editor should be e-mailed to [email protected].

To reach a specific editor with story suggestions or ideas, contact information is available on our Web site. Each section has a specific phone line and e-mail address for people to reach editors and reporters.

The Star is here to provide the news to the community, and we are always open to suggestions and criticism on how to do that better. Keep us posted, and we’ll keep you posted.