More so than any other species, we have innovatively fought tooth and nail as we’ve clawed, speared, shot and nuked our way to the top. By accepting change, and refusing to be winnowed out as a species, we have ensured our right to live and dominate this planet.

Those unfortunate species who could not adapt to their changing environment remain now only as fossilized specimen, relics of an extinct past who serve as a warning to we who remain.

A universal truth that applies to our existence and everything in it is that nothing can survive the ravages of time forever.

However, those who won’t go without a fight, and are willing to make the necessary changes and adaptations, can beat out death and the devil for a little longer than the rest.

For the time-honored tradition of printed communication, no other attitude than “they won’t get me without a fight”, can be afforded by those who write and are responsible for publishing newspapers.

With the media rapidly migrating toward the better feeding grounds of the internet, the stragglers struggling to keep up with the rest are in danger of being picked off by more predatory competition or be left behind for the scavengers pick clean.

Perhaps we who love and write newspapers are doomed to go the way of the Dodo, deemed irrelevant and old-fashioned by a new dominate species of communication.

To stand a chance, to become a come-back story instead of a disaster epic, we have to regain some of our feral instinctual nature.

To catch our prey, the illusive and fickle reader, we need to hone all of our senses upon our quarry.

As the hunt begins, we must consider how we will stalk our target, and more importantly how will we catch them. As often is the case, whether through bright plumage, alluring scent, or even elaborate webs and snares, the best way to catch what you want is through bait.

So, dear reader, I ask what attracts you? Tell me what you want, what you expect, and what you believe you deserve from us at The Horizon.

At best, it would be the height of foolishness for us to believe that we are immune to the changing climate bent on withering our art form.

At worst, it would be hubris in the most destructive and repugnant form for us to believe that we can continue in a ‘business as usual’ attitude when faced by such a harrowing and cruel market that eyes us like buzzards, waiting for our demise.

Only by listening to our readers can we have hope of continuing to be a relevant, informative and enjoyed service to the student body of IU Southeast.

With a new year, comes great opportunity for change, and I appeal to you to allow us to serve you in a way that you find meaningful and entertaining.

Too often, whether by silently staking out the coffee watering holes of our campus, or being occasionally approached by a student, I have heard malcontent, disappointment and exasperation spoken of the content of The Horizon. Whether citing that they find our work irrelevant, dull, and in some cases, the ultimate slight of “corny”, most of the students I have spoken with express that they want more from their student paper.

So my appeal to you, is what can I as a new editor, and everyone else on The Horizon staff, do to lure you in and keep you coming back for more?

What bait can we set our traps with more often? And equally important, which would you like to never catch a whiff of again?

We can not afford to be selfish, and continue in paths that have dissatisfied our readers for our own pride or comfort.

Though the thrill may be in the chase, my goal is to capture the interest of the students we seek to serve, and mirror their passion, awareness, drive and talent in our pages every week.

So, tell me – what do you want? What will it take to capture you?

By AMY FAULHABER
Editor
amfaulha@ius.edu