The start of the new semester brings changes to the Daily Sundial, but our commitment to the CSUN community remains the same. We are dedicated to accurately informing students, faculty and staff about issues that impact their lives.

We often get questions about how the Sundial works. The Sundial is a student-run newspaper where students make the decisions. Our staff reporters are journalism students, who are enrolled in Journalism 397, a required class to graduate. Editors are students who apply for their positions. Those not enrolled in the class are contributors to the Sundial. Our staff changes every semester.

The Daily Sundial has been a stepping-stone for many accomplished journalists. It was the place where they learned to write on deadline while juggling homework, work and all the things life threw at them. It was the place where they experienced journalism outside of their textbooks. It was a learning experience recorded daily on a paper distributed all over campus.

Our job is hard. We strive for accurate reporting and have a correction policy to rectify misinformation. To report errors send an e-mail to editor@csun.edu.

Changes this semester include the unveiling of our weekend edition Culture Shock, a mix of arts and culture that will be published every Thursday as an insert in the Daily Sundial.

The opinions page will continue to be open for students and faculty wishing to express their points of view. We firmly believe in the First Amendment that gives us freedom of speech. As journalists, we are aware that such power comes with great responsibility.

As we saw in the Tucson, Arizona shooting where a gunman killed six people, exercising our freedom of speech carries consequences. Many have commented on the need for civil discourse and the reassessment of the messages being sent out by the media and our elected leaders.

With that in mind, the standards to which those wanting to contribute will be raised. Professors and students with areas of expertise or personal experiences are encouraged to contribute. Only unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Sundial staff and are written when the majority of the editorial staff agrees on an issue. All other articles in the Opinions section do not reflect the position of the newspaper.

We continue to encourage students and professors to contribute to the Sundial by either writing a letter to the editor or sharing their opinion on an area of expertise. To contribute, please e-mail editor@csun.edu.

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