This is the end

Parting is such sweet sorrow, even if it is a relief to my troublesome GPA. But after 14 issues of doing everything in my power to make your Thursdays a little better, my well-worn staff and I will now be handing over the reigns of power.\nThis semester, we've brought you everything from TV to music to movies. From the rebirth of hair metal to the death of Cadmium Orange, from the DVD/VCR battle to the battle over MP3 technology, we've tried to make your Thursdays, and the following weekend, a little more enjoyable.\nJudging from the variety of reader responses, I believe we've succeeded. In our first issue, I used a column to encourage readers to solicit opinions concerning our coverage of various issues.\nOur overall design has grown from a loose set of guidelines to a full-fledged, style-based smooth look. While frequent Weekend readers might miss the surprise of opening to the reviews page every week, as an editor, I truly do not. Our art director, Ryan Hildebrandt, has done an excellent job of standardizing the design of the magazine.\nThanks to copy chief Jeremy Piniak, this has been, far and away, the most mistake-free semester of IDS Weekend in the publication's short history. With only a few exceptions, the magazine has been an example of style and syntax. For this, both the writers and I are grateful.\nReviews editor Eden Kerr-Perkinson has taken her section above and beyond anything that section has ever produced. While her excellent staff of writers is in part to thank for that, under her watchful eye, the section has grown, both by including the work of a record number of writers and in terms of overall quality.\nI can honestly state without any reservation that features editor Christina Jewett has taken her stories above anything ever produced by IDS Weekend in the past. By drawing from a pool of talented and eager writers, she was able to put out at least two great full-length stories every week, as well as several very interesting packages.\nSo I believe we've done our best to entertain you every Thursday, and I know you've been more than willing participants. So this is my thanks to you.\nGuided by an all-new staff, IDS Weekend will enter its fourth semester, beginning Jan. 11, 2001. Weekend's next editor in chief, Rachel Kipp, hopes to further define IDS Weekend's focus and to bring more diversity to the publication.\nKipp is an able and competent leader. She has served both as IDS Weekend reviews editor and IDS arts editor in the past.\nFinally, let me make an apology. Cover bands, pop music, American cinema, artistic hypocrisy and MTV were constantly butts of countless Weekend jokes over the semester, both in clear printed English and in loud, obnoxious dialogue echoing through the halls of Ernie Pyle Hall.\nI apologize that we did not trash them ever more.\nThanks again, and have a nice life.