This is my last paper as editor-in-chief. I’m looking at my computer with a puzzled expression on my face as I type this, because it sounds so weird to say. But, that is the case. With an overload of required classes next semester and an unexpected internship, I just can’t give the paper as much time as it requires. Maybe I’ll be back later, who knows.

My term started with two full days of 15-minute interviews with the record number of applicants we received. After not eating, barely sleeping and tiring myself out with questions about layout, copyediting and AP style, I had finally chosen the staff. And, in my opinion, it was one of the best groups of people The Daily Campus had ever hired.

We went through a lot of changes this year. A redesign of the front page, a complete rehaul of the website, and switching publication days to Monday, Wednesday, Friday instead of the typical Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday would have put any staff on the edge. But not this one.

This year’s staff dealt with every blow I threw at them with professionalism and an overriding sense of control.

It seemed like nothing had happened, they just went with the flow and made the paper better than, at least I feel, it ever has been before.

This is not to say my term has gone without any controversy. Many people get upset with the coverage, saying that we shed a negative light on the University or at least some of its major components like Student Senate.

While I find this accusation largely untrue, I also find that it is the duty of a newspaper to not only point out the good, but to point out the bad. In many instances, if this paper did not report on exactly what was happening, students might never know. The news is a catalyst for change. And if not change, the news can at least prompt a reexamination of the status quo.

While The Daily Campus may not be breaking open stories on Congress or new scientific discoveries, we still serve an important role on this campus. We are an independent paper. I’m sure you have seen this on our masthead, but you may not be aware that this means we receive absolutely no funding from the school.

Meaning, SMU has no power to control what we write.

Private universities have more privacy power than most people are aware of. They do not have to follow open records law, and, for the most part, can do whatever they like without the knowledge or permission of the students who pay thousands of dollars a year to go there.

Because of this, independent student news on private campuses is particularly important. A news organization that is funded by the school, in most cases, has to pull articles the university finds less than flattering. Because we are our own company, SMU has no such authority. If we did not use this power to call attention to deficiencies in our system, we would be wasting a power not given to any other organization on campus.

It may not be fun to read articles that don’t seem to be as school spirited as some would prefer, but it would not be fair to the student body or even to the surrounding community to frame SMU as if it were a utopia, because it’s not.

I have no doubt that SMU is one of the best private schools in the south. That goes without saying. But there are problems in every university, and SMU is no exception. It is with this in mind that I began my term as editor-in-chief.

I feel that balanced and accurate reporting by this newspaper has been the mark of this semester. I am proud of the work that this paper has done, and I am proud to continue serving for this paper, even if it is in a lesser role.

I believe, and this might be my bias kicking in here, that student publications are one of the most important components of a university. This paper is not only the voice of its editorial staff, but it also provides a voice for students. I encourage you to get involved in any student publication, even if it isn’t ours (yes, this even includes The Muddler).

You have things to say about SMU. I hear them. In the cafeteria, in classes, in the library. They do not have an impact if they do not reach an audience. Stop complaining. Write.

Jessica Huseman is a junior political science and journalism double major. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].