Greetings! My name is Lauren Ellenbecker and I’m thrilled to be the editor of The Daily Evergreen’s bad-joke-filled and somewhat-cultured section: Mint. To be more direct, it is the arts and culture section of the newspaper.

However, I won’t spill all of the beans about the paper, because the rest is up to you to discover. To start off, I want to tell you some things about myself, but have no fear. You won’t be reading my life story — yet.

I am a sourdough, meaning I was born and raised in Alaska. I believe this gives me an advantage in certain situations, such as walking at record speeds on ice, being able to remain cozy in shorts while roaming around in snowy weather and knowing what to do when coming across a bear.

Well, there might not be any grizzlies in Pullman, but this skillset can be applied to any hangry and 6-foot-whatever man in a dining hall. Most of all, I believe that living in the Land of the Midnight Sun helped me develop a special sense of humor, and that kind of makes up for the fact that I’ve been vitamin D-deprived for 18 years. Right?

My wit is derived from having to answer questions from tourists or curious people asking “Is it true that you barely see the sun?” or “Do you ride a dog sled to the store?” throughout my life, which makes you more creative each time it’s asked.

However, I can’t hate those questions too much because there is a pinch of truth to them. We do live in a black hole for most of the day during the winter, and Alaskans do have an annual sled dog race, unlike the “lower 48” or the mainland.

Additionally, I wanted to tell you something regarding my college career. I am studying at WSU to become a journalist and my dream is to utilize my degree so I can become a well-seasoned traveler. This would hopefully be accomplished by being a travel journalist, an international correspondent or even a documentarian.

At this point I want to congratulate you, the reader, because you made it through my trite rambling about myself. You deserve a treat, and I think I have a suggestion for you. Oh, and it’s going to be a plug for Mint. However, stay with me because you’ve made it so, so far.

First, you have to settle down in a nice chair and purchase some snacks and coffee or tea. Second, grab your copy of The Daily Evergreen and read through the news, attempt completing the crossword — even though we know crosswords are designed to make your brain malfunction — and perhaps graze over the sports section.

Soon you’ll reach Mint, and I hope you learn something intriguing, have a few laughs and look forward to reading the next edition. It’s a possibility that you’ll have some tips or suggestions for what you want to see next time in Mint, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback.

In that case, feel free to reach out and email [email protected] with those minty-fresh ideas.