The late, great John Fitzgerald Kennedy— with whom I can claim no relation — had it wrong.

We?ve all heard the famous line: ?Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.?

Here at The Stanford Daily, we see things differently. Go ahead; ask what The Daily can do for you. You may be surprised by the reply.

During my years and countless meals of pizza, Chinese food and Treehouse at The Daily, I?ve witnessed this newspaper at its best, as well as at its worst. We?ve misquoted people, misinterpreted the facts and may have been too liberal in our use of anonymous sources. But we?ve also provided extensive election coverage, offered in-depth sports analysis, reported on campus labor issues and even broke the news that President Bush would be visiting campus.

Sure, the president did end up moving his visit from Hoover Tower. But would the protests which prompted the relocation — a welcome show of grassroots spirit and campus activism that many had previously not associated with the Stanford community — have happened without The Daily?

Maybe. Maybe not.

As a student newspaper, The Daily is stuck in some form of identity crisis inherent in its dual nature. On one hand you have The Daily as a student group, where Stanford students in their early 20s congregate amidst a sea of take-out boxes and Pepsi cans to talk about the day?s news. But on the other hand, The Daily is also a professional newspaper — a source of news, information and entertainment to the thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members who pick it up.

It is this second role that I would like to improve during my tenure as Editor-in-Chief. We will work tirelessly, as we have in volumes past, to get the story straight. We will continue to scour the campus for news to break. But we can always do better.

That?s where, you, the readers, come in. Ask what The Daily can do for you. Think last week?s story on Band Run could have been a little too biased? Let us know. Wish there was more coverage of whether professors prefer boxers or briefs? Suggestions are always welcome. Think that kooky columnist from The Band has finally gone off his rocker? Send him — or me — an e-mail.

I?ve been blown away by the number of readers who have taken advantage of the new comment feature on our Web site. Nearly every story has generated a comment or two; some have even spawned entire digital conversations. Selected Web comments will now appear in the Opinions section of the print Daily, as part of our effort to bridge the gap between online and print journalism.

That?s not to say Kennedy was all wrong. For those of you out there who want to try your hand at journalism, or see something in The Daily and think you can do it better, give it a shot.

What can you do for The Daily? Well, there?s plenty. We can always use more writers, copy editors, photographers, graphic artists and layout designers. Are you a freshman arriving on The Farm with years of high school newspaper experience? We have plenty of opportunities for you. A senior interested in photography but never got around to joining? Our doors are still open (even if the office, in the Storke Publications building near Terman Engineering Building and Roble Hall, may not be the easiest to find).

I?ve assembled a top-notch, creative, driven and fun loving staff to provide you with a high-quality, student-run newspaper. But I also look forward to hearing from you, the readers, and doing all that I can to make the paper better. Welcome to The Stanford Daily, Volume 230. Hope to see you around the office.

Patrick Fitzgerald, a junior majoring in International Relations, is Editor in Chief, Vol. 230. He can be reached at 725-2100 ext. 501 or eic@daily.stanford.edu.