What’s new? Plenty

“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.” —author Robert C. Gallagher

Back when I was a shy teenager, I wasn’t a big fan of change. I grew into a quasi-extroverted adult, but after working at the same paper for 17 years, I couldn’t very well say I’d embraced change.

“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear…. It’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to."—author Marilyn Ferguson

Ah, very wise! However …

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” —Woodrow Wilson

True, too. Still …

“If you don’t change your ways you’re gonna end up doomed just like I am."—Bill Murray in Scrooged

So, in the past 18 months, I’ve made life-changing decisions, and as the navigator-in-chief of this venerable vessel, I’ve tried to chart a course with a healthy measure of … yes, that C-word.

“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”—unknown utterer

On the heels of GreenWays, a Web redesign and a more interactive Calendar, the News & Review is rolling out another new section and another online enhancement. (I’ll elaborate momentarily.) Keep your eyes peeled over the next few months for further changes—some subtle, some overt.

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction"—Winston Churchill

Indeed, and I haven’t changed so much that you’ll see change for the sake of change.

“Changes are taking the pace I’m going through."—David Bowie

Exactly.

New functionality: With a soft launch last week, the N&R Operations team expanded readers’ ability to comment on stories online. Each article features a “Contact Us …” hyperlink to a message-post page. You can give feedback to editors and writers, plus earmark your remark as a letter to the editor.

A big plus is you won’t have to grapple with our vigilant SPAM filter. A minus is I won’t be able to run your letter if you blow through the info fields. (Someone named “nick” had a great take on Bhaktilila Dasi’s Guest Comment, but the phone number and e-mail address both were bad. Please re-click, “nick.")

New section: This issue marks the debut of Campus, a weekly block of features for and about our two college communities.

Covering campus life is nothing new here—after all, through the 1976-77 academic year, this was Chico State’s student newspaper, the Wildcat. We’ve just created a destination reading for students, faculty, staff and anyone else interested in goings-on at Butte College and Chico State.

We have some good stories to share, thanks in no small measure to our student contributors. Which brings us to …

New intern class: This issue also brings to these pages our fall interns. Joining us for the first time is newswriter Tang Lor, a Chico State double-major who interned at the Paradise Post this summer. Writer Bryce Benson and photographer Andrew Boost are staying with us, and we’re glad to welcome back two writers from last year, Monica Unhold and Marisol Salgado.

Other students interested in internships are welcome to contact me. After all, as some unknown sage once said, “It’s never too late to change.”