Stevie's Wonders

After two years as News Editor, I can truly say that I am excited to be taking on the Sports section of the Michigan Tech Lode. Mike Babcock has done a fabulous job over the last two years, and there is much that I want to keep of his ideas. However, there are a few ideas and changes that I hope to bring to fruition.

Maybe I am counting my chickens before they hatch, but some of the things I hope to bring to the sports section include quicker updates on games through our newly-updated Web site: www.mtulode.com. Live game blogs, prompt post-game articles, audio clips and other new media opportunities are just some of the things I hope to bring to the section to keep the Lode up to par with the new media that is infiltrating the media industry world-wide.

I also hope to help bring a more thorough beat system to the section. Our writers will follow the teams more closely, interview players and coaches more frequently and provide more in-depth coverage on the 13 varsity sports teams at Tech. Not to be neglected, however, are intramural sports, broomball, sports-related student organizations and unique feature pieces.

Since I have been with the News section for two years, I know a thing or two about achieving balanced, hard-nosed journalism. Hopefully our writing quality will improve, although I would argue that the sports writers on staff are already top-notch in this area.

There are so many opportunities that the Sports section offers that News does not. I am thrilled to give the News section over to Mitchell Anderson, and I am sure that he will do a great job with it, but I am beyond excited for the opportunity that lies ahead of me.

Sports have always been a passion of mine. I follow my favorite college and professional teams with crazy, perhaps overboard enthusiasm (it will probably come through a time or two who they are). I hope my love for sports shows in all that I do with this section. I have grown up in the local area, and my dad has taught at this University my entire life. I know Michigan Tech and its sports teams like the back of my hand. I am excited to get to know each and every coach and many of the players.

While Sports Editor is a job title, this position is not a job to me at all. The work that this position entails is exactly what I want to do. Having watched, played, coached, refereed and covered sports, I feel like I have the full sports spectrum with which to accurately and neutrally assess and cover sports at this fine institution.

I will always seek to improve the section during my time managing it, and I strongly encourage feedback, both positive and negative. You can feel free to e-mail at steander@mtu.edu with any suggestions that you might have. The more I hear from you, the reader, the more I can effect positive change in the future. Thank you all for reading the Lode this week, and I hope that my work in the sports section will keep you coming back for more each and every week.