When I first started college, I saw the student newspaper as a bit of a mystery.

It showed up on racks around campus and was presumably put together by the upperclassmen powers that be. I knew none of the names among the bylines and was often dissatisfied with the content and opinions expressed within the pages.

If this was the official voice of students, it sure didn’t sound like mine.

And I definitely wasn’t about to read something that carried little personal interest.

But that was at a university more than three times the size of Mercyhurst—one where my voice truly didn’t count as much as it might at a smaller school.

Fortunately for you, fellow student, you possess the opportunity to make your opinion mean a great deal more here.

The Merciad, Mercyhurst’s official student newspaper for more than 80 years, publishes 1,200 copies every Wednesday morning. Our staff personally distributes these inside the front door of every major building on campus and editions can be found lying in many classroom and hallway and corners.

Most importantly, we are the best student-produced source of information for campus news, arts and entertainment, features about your faculty and fellow students and the place to catch up on the most interesting varsity sports story lines.

And, of course, the main place to express your opinions and college experiences.

Yet we have lately run into a shortage of talented or even reliable writers.

While there’s still a steady crop of dedicated scribes who produce quality content each week, our numbers have begun to dwindle.

At the risk of sounding like a public television station, I’m not going to say we won’t survive without your help.

Still, these pages are probably going to start to lack quality very soon if you don’t come our way with fresh story ideas, a different perspective on an issue or the ability to clearly communicate your thoughts in writing.

Even if you possess none of the above, and are simply eager to be published or to write in some form other than that lackluster essay you turned in Monday morning, we want you.

Doesn’t matter what your major is—the more wide-ranging the better.

While the majority of our staff stems from Mercyhurst’s communication department, to truly continue this tradition as a well-rounded publication and not just a first-floor-of-Hirt-shouting-box, we need you to share experiences from all over campus.

If you see any part of The Merciad that you’re interested in—news, features, entertainment, opinion sports—contact myself or one of our section editors on the right.

And know that anything you write is guaranteed to earn you $10, a byline and the knowledge that your voice does indeed matter.