This well-known curse has been bandied about for years. Given the tumultuous past few months, I think few would deny that we’re currently living it out.

From a new president and political intrigue, to a financial meltdown and international discord, there is plenty to discuss when looking at the world.

With this in mind, I welcome you to a new semester at both MSU and the State News Opinion Page.

The Opinion Page has long been an important part of the newspaper. It gives us a chance to take a stand on issues and to bring to light items that might not have a place on other pages.

However, like much of the newspaper industry, the Opinion Page is currently facing a changing climate and a need to change and adapt.

We live in a world where blogs are everywhere and there is no lack of outlets for people to espouse their thoughts and ideas.

In such a climate, what place does a newspaper opinion page have? Why even bother giving it precious space on the printed page?

The thing that people have to realize is that one person doesn’t run a newspaper’s opinion page. I might be the opinion editor, and it might be my hands that assemble the pieces that together make the page, but it shouldn’t be my voice that guides the content. In a perfect world, that leadership would be the readers’.

In other words, yours.

That’s the beauty of the Opinion Page. More than any other page of the paper, it is the one that readers shape and guide.

It’s there for you to share your opinions and thoughts on the various goings-on in the world and to point us to stories and events that we would normally miss.

All of this is naturally dependent on feedback from readers. Unless you tell us what you’re thinking, the Opinion Page will remain guided solely by forces inside The State News.

I know that many of you have strong opinions. I know that many of you question and criticize the content that comes out of the paper.

It might shock some, but we do read and consider the comments.

Although they are appreciated, however, comments don’t have quite the same punch that an actual e-mail or letter has. After all, we aren’t printing comments.

Think the paper is too liberal? Write in and give a conservative voice to issues. MSU’s student population decreases dramatically during the summer, as do the submissions of content for the paper. Given such a small turnout, it’s likely I’ll run most of the letters I receive.

Want to bring light to an issue that we missed? Write a letter to the editor.

The Opinion Page can be the page of the readers only if they provide content.

It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and throw stones. The State News is a big target, and we probably deserve some of it.

We’re going to make you angry at some point. It’s nearly impossible for people to agree all the time. I just ask that you let us know when we incite that sort of feeling in you.

People need to realize that as long as they don’t participate, nothing will change. Without your input, we’ll likely end up making the same mistakes over and over again.

If you feel that a letter is not enough room to express your idea, you’re always free to submit a single column for consideration. Although a single column is less likely to run, it’s still a chance to tell the paper and me which issues you think we should be focused on.

Every few semesters a column like this one runs, exhorting the readers to submit letters and feedback. Is this one any different? Perhaps not.

Honestly, I don’t expect it to generate an avalanche of content. The one thing I do hope it accomplishes is to put the idea in your head that if you’re unhappy with what we’re doing, you have no one to blame but yourself.

This is your page. You need to shape it.