The Pacer has been catching a lot of flack lately for this process of “filling space” due to a lack of student submitted opinions, reviews and news stories.

Well, I am not totally immune to the complaints, but it is not much of an issue with my job.

I run the Pacer’s website, which doesn’t suffer from the problem of filling space.

We have to focus on other issues, such as getting it up each week before the paper hits the newsstands.

I’m pleased to report that we are now 4 for 4, with the Freshman Starter not counting, since the site wasn’t even launched yet.

Our site has features that even Knoxville’s Daily Beacon Online lacks. If you haven’t visited the site yet, it’s worth a look (pacer.utm.edu).

Share your comments on each and every article by clicking on the “Discuss” link. We get a kick out of reading them, good or bad.

The fact is, we want you. Come to Pacer meetings, find out what you can do to help out and do it.

It is a very rewarding experience to have your name at the top of that controversial opinion article, or to be less than an inch away from the headline that reads “Skyhawks win OVC in Football.”

Well, some experiences are more rewarding than others.

If we didn’t love our jobs, we wouldn’t do it.

We believe that the students of UTM benefit from a weekly, editorially independent newspaper.

If you disagree, please be kind and recycle.

Keep in mind that 3,000 issues is a lot of paper to be wasted by simply putting it in the nearest trashcan.