This year, as I’m sure you’re aware by now, marks the 100th birthday of UC Davis. There has been a great deal of change since the university opened its doors to students in 1908, but The California Aggie has been here for 93 of those 100 years, serving the Davis community since 1915.
Over that time we’ve changed our name (originally The Weekly Agricola), increased our circulation and reported on whatever UC Davis students need to hear about. The primary function of this newspaper is to provide our over 25,000 readers with information that directly affects them, whether they be undergraduate, graduate or professional students, UC Davis faculty or Davis residents.
Though The Aggie is a unit of ASUCD, we are financially independent from the student government. This allows the newspaper to operate without the university infringement on our reporting or journalistic integrity. This allows us to maintain our stringent standards of professionalism and quality news coverage.
The Aggie is entirely student run, with a full staff of editors, reporters, photographers, copy editors, layout artists, graphic artists, advertising representatives, sales clerks and distributors. These are full time students who spend their free time publishing a quality newspaper in order to serve their community: you.
You the reader are the reason for this newspaper. We want to write about what you care about. You contribute immensely to each and every paper we publish, whether it’s by simply reading it, doing the crossword puzzle, or writing in to tell us your opinion.
We also hope that you’ll visit our new website at theaggie.org. It has received several improvements since last year and new features should be added throughout the year. If you need your daily news fix, but can’t find any newspapers, find all of the day’s stories on the website, which also has RSS feeds available.
Among other changes made this year was the decision to move the weekly Muse section to the interior of the paper, rather than having a separate tabloid insert. The new format should increase both the sustainability of the paper and the readership of the Muse section.
As with every new academic year, The Aggie needs a new set of columnists and cartoonists! If that sounds like something you would be interested in, please drop by 25 Lower Freeborn for an application or e-mail me at editor@californiaaggie.com.
The Aggie is assembling a skilled, enthusiastic staff for the coming year and we look forward to reporting on a myriad of events between now and June. We hope you’ll join us each issue as we find out together what’s going on in the world!
RICHARD PROCTER can be reached at editor@californiaaggie.com.
