I was the girl you probably dreaded in middle school and junior high. I always tried to sit in the front row, middle aisle and was never a second late to class. Getting me to talk out of turn in class was as difficult as getting your mom to change the channel on Sunday nights from “Touched By an Angel” to “Married… with Children.”I operated under the set of rules that the teacher was always right. And, if the teacher was ever wrong, refer back to rule one as quickly as possible so as not to get your recess taken away for being disrespectful.

Of course I thought it was ridiculous that seventh grade science was taught to me by “Bill Nye the Science Guy” while my teacher just popped the videotape into the VCR. But the teachers knew more than I did so I dared not question them. Believe me, I was a professional at being a teacher’s pet.

Imagine then, how different it’s been for me to be in a position which requires me to sometimes criticize those in authority. In editorials written this past semester, I’ve criticized the University for its lack of action in recreation center plans as well as the Student Government Association and other organizations for not taking more aggressive roles in assisting Hurricane Katrina victims.

The criticism sometimes creates unusual awkwardness for student journalists. For example, you’re criticizing someone who may sit next to you in class every Tuesday-Thursday or someone who has more than 15 years of experience in higher education while you have yet to receive your bachelor’s degree. And you’ve criticized them in a newspaper read by more than 5,500.

Then there are the fears that you will criticize something and be wrong. A similar incident occurred last week. A member of the staff wrote an editorial describing how confusing the wording of the E-mail explaining the cancellation of Fall Break was. The problem arose when we tried to clear the confusion in our Sept. 29 issue and actually made things more confusing for the campus. It was printed that Thurs. Oct. 13 was a make-up day for TR classes and Thursday-only classes. It should have read “TR classes and Tuesday-only classes.”

We confused readers-the same thing we had criticized the administration for the week prior.

The best we can do is apologize, fix the problem and move on. It’s part of our business. Contrary to belief, we aren’t out to “get” the administration, SGAx or any other program/department for that matter. Members of this staff are students at Nicholls and want the best for the University as everyone else.

Some see us as complainers-those who identify the problems and do nothing about them. But we see ourselves as educators. Our job is to inform the student body on campus, local, state and national issues. It may not be easy, but if we believe something should be done differently, we will voice our opinions, as should others through letters to the editor and speeches at campus forums.

The campus community will make mistakes, and we will write about those and criticize them. But The Nicholls Worth will also make mistakes, and we hope the community will hold us accountable to those.

Undoubtedly, the campus community will achieve great things, and we will write about those and congratulate them. And, The Nicholls Worth will also succeed, and we hope the community will acknowledge those successes as well.

It’s sometimes difficult being a student journalist-you’re still a student but must act as a professional at all times. On the other hand, it’s exhilarating, fun and, most of all, a privilege to be the one to keep the campus informed.

It is my hope that this newspaper’s coverage will help contribute to a more knowledgeable, cohesive and successful campus. You may not learn more than you would from watching “Bill Nye the Science Guy” every day. But who can compete with Bill?

Science rules.