It is with great pleasure that I take over this week as editor of the opinion pages here at The Chronicle. I am replacing Jamie DeLoma, who is the paper’s new Editor-in-Chief. Allow me to take some time to introduce myself.

I will turn 19 years old in May and am a freshman communications major here at Quinnipiac. I hail from Paxton, Massachusetts, which is one town over from the city of Worcester.

As is likely obvious by now, I am interested in politics and have been writing an almost-weekly political column for the Chronicle since September.

I am also scheduled to attend the Republican National Convention in New York City later this year as part of an internship program.

Additionally, since 1997, I have been a volunteer statistician to the Worcester IceCats’ radio broadcaster.

The IceCats are a member of the American Hockey League and are affiliated with the St. Louis Blues. I have worked nearly 400 games, home and away, sitting in the broadcast booth.

I have high expectations for these pages over the coming year. As we are in need of a steady staff next year, I encourage everyone with an opinion on anything to consider writing for this section.

The topic can relate to Quinnipiac or any level of politics – local, state, or national. The time commitment is minimal, but the benefits are huge.

With a few thousand online readers and distribution sites throughout Hamden in addition to the 2,500 papers distributed weekly on campus, your opinions will certainly reach a wide-ranging audience.

It’s a great way to get involved and make your name known here. Also, it’s always exciting to see your name in print, both in the newspaper and online.

Obviously, with an important presidential election on the horizon, in addition to various congressional and Senate elections, there should be no shortage of opinions on the national level between now and November.

These races will certainly be in full swing by the time we return in the fall.

While I have my political beliefs and am not shy about expressing them, these pages would be boring if they were one-sided.

If you submit a well-written political article, you are likely to get published regardless of the article’s content.

Aside from that, though, let me again stress that opinion pieces on Quinnipiac issues, or your own ideas, are also welcomed and encouraged.

I want people to give me feedback on what you like, don’t like, or anything else. If you have any suggestions on how to improve these pages, or if you would like to submit an editorial please do not hesitate to contact me.

My email address is [email protected]