Aside from people asking where John Sacca was in the fall, the most common question I overheard as I scurried from class to class was, "Why the hell is that on the front page?"

In order to dispel any egregious myths as to how the hell the things on the front page get there, I'll tell you the story of How Things Find Themselves on the Front Page.

It all starts deep in the dank, moldy, dingy cave of ink-stained wretches. Tiny, hump-backed, busybody grouches run around with cranky faces and big chips on their shoulders. They chain smoke and drink too much, and they certainly have something against everyone in the world.

Maybe in reality many of us would like to believe little cranksters run around making up the news, but real people in this very world actually do think journalists have a problem with life in general and will stop at nothing to hammer that agenda in every direction.

In actuality -- at least down here at the Collegian -- there is a relatively easy-to-explain process of selecting what goes on the front page. There are basically three variables at work -- local stories, Associated Press wire stories and people. Those three mix (sometimes quietly and sometimes in violent explosions) to produce the front page, as well as other parts of the paper.

Each day, our staff editors send stories to the managing editor, who reads and edits through them. From that list of stories, he makes a general judgment as to where in the paper each story belongs. That preliminary decision is based on the managing editor's past experiences, what he perceives the quality of the story to be and advice from the staff editors.

During our hectic deadline period (between 3:30 and 7 p.m. all of the caffeine in town is in our blood streams), the managing editor also reads the AP wire. The news editor and one copy editor also read through the wire. There are hundreds of stories from the state, nation, world, sports and entertainment categories. Each editor comes up with a short list of about 20 stories that we might have room for on a given day.

At 5:45 p.m., the managing editor, news editor and copy editor meet to discuss what they believe to be the most important and interesting wire stories for the day. They try to reach a consensus based on their news judgment. The managing editor brings into the arena the local stories that are possible for Page One.

Generally, the key players try to put about five or six stories on the front, along with graphics and art. In the end, we consider local news the most important part of Page One.

We look to balance hard news, creative features, investigative stories and captivating art for the front page. There is an agenda: We want you to read what we put there, so we try really hard to have stories tailored for you -- the audience.

There shouldn't be confusing phrases, false material or irrelevant things on Page One -- or anywhere in the paper for that matter. If you ever find anything like that, let us know immediately.

It may seem like the front page is a mystery, but once you get past the fairy tale images of ink-stained trolls plotting the demise of the world, you might be able to see Page One as a work in progress.

Let's jump into the semester with something juicy to chew on. The Daily Collegian is a white newspaper.

Our newsroom is filled mostly with white students. We aren't proud of that, and we certainly try to represent the whole spectrum of our audience with the news and views we print.

We are working every day to form a diverse and representative picture of our world. If you have story ideas that can make our job easier, or if you have complaints about our coverage, call me.

I am sick and tired of people bitching about how bad the world treats them, then not having the energy or motivation to do something productive about it. If you want to do something productive, help us cover the community we share. It really is silly to expect a newspaper to cover parts of the community that separate themselves on the basis of protest. Cutting off contact merely exacerbates the problem.

During the last 100 papers, we have tried to redesign our pages to make them better looking and more informative. We have briefs packages on Dateline and Sports to give you a quick read of important tidbits that previously did not appear in the paper. We have a special Town/Gown Page Thursdays, with an in-depth profile and stories from around the community. We even have daily television listings for your blow-off time pleasure.

And the changes aren't finished. Keep your eyes open for continued design and content improvements. We always want to offer a better paper every day, and we can't do it alone. If you have questions about some of the changes we have made, or have suggestions of your own, feel free to stop in or give us a call.

Peace and happiness from the top of the fishbowl.