Editorial - Welcome back from the DA staff

Hey, guys – welcome back.

Whether you’re just starting your college career or figuring out what classes you still need to finish, your experience at WVU is far from finished.

During your time here, your friends, fellow classmates, advisers and professors will have a lasting impact on your life.

The editors and staff of The Daily Athenaeum like to think your student newspaper can have lasting impact on you, too.

The DA has been the official student publication of West Virginia University since 1887. In fact, the paper will celebrate its 125th birthday this year. Documenting the WVU experience is something its writers have done for a very, very long time – and something its staff takes great pride in today.

Just to catch you up (because we love doing it), here’s a quick breakdown of how the newspaper works:

During the fall and spring semesters, The DA is printed Monday through Friday. During the summer months, the paper becomes a weekly edition published every Wednesday.

Like the U.S. Olympic team, we’re highly decorated. We were recently named the third best all-around daily college newspaper in the nation by the Society of Professional Journalists, and we are regularly listed near the top of the Princeton Review’s annual college newspaper rankings. The DA also took home 19 awards from the West Virginia Press Association in 2012, including a third place ranking among newspapers with a circulation between 10,000 and 25,000 readers.

Did I mention we’re humble, too?

Our website, www.thedaonline.com, includes all daily articles and PDFs included in the day’s newspaper. We post breaking news during the day and include extra content not published in the print edition.

We’re also aware this is the 21st century, so you can check out our website on WVU’s official iPhone app, iWVU, as well. (It’s also available on Android, if you’re into that kind of thing.) The app also gives you the ability to view past editions of The DA, so you can reminisce about what happened last Tuesday this Tuesday, if you’d like.

To keep up with the latest news, follow us on Twitter @dailyathenaeum or find us on Facebook.

Most importantly, our print edition is available on campus in most major classroom buildings and dormitories, so you can pick one up on your way to class, on your way from class or just because you’d like to read the latest "Get Fuzzy" comic strip. Like we always say, "Come for the crossword, stay for the stories."

So on behalf of our section editors, writers, advertising sales representatives, copy desk, production staff, front desk workers, delivery van drivers and everyone who has ever worked here, past and present, thank you for picking up this copy of the DA. As always, it’s a pleasure.

Oh, and good luck with classes. You’ll do great.