Hello again, readers. It's nice to see you back from your winter break looking so healthy and rested.

Just a quick re-introduction of myself: I'm a journalism junior, an international student from England, somewhat conservative but mostly a liberal: if the government let me vote I'd vote Democrat (even though they're pretty useless at the moment) and I rely heavily on readers for input on opinion columns.

I've been writing these columns for five semesters now and I've come to the conclusion that you, the reader, are the best part of writing for page four.

You see, you have a significant responsibility when it comes to these columns. We need you to respond to the columns so we know how you feel about the page and its content.

Here are my tips for making the most out of page four.

Read actively

It is not enough just to read the columns and let your mind remain blank throughout. Sometimes a column will really grab your interest and sometimes the headline is enough to put you off even reading the first paragraph.

When you do decide to read a column try and take in what the writer is saying. Avoid jumping to conclusions after the first two lines.

Evaluate content

Decide if you enjoyed the column. Did you agree with the writer? Were you appalled by their content? Are you sitting on the fence?

Maybe the column helped sway you one way or another. Were their arguments well thought out and presented? Did they make an error or overlook an important piece of information?

Evaluate your response

Evaluate your response. If you have a really strong response to a column, good or bad, evaluate why you reacted that way. Does it come down to political orientation? Religious affiliation? Or do you decide based on individual merits, not using politics or religion?

Opinion columns have the ability, I believe, to be more than a soap-box for columnists. I think they can teach readers more about themselves.

Respond online

Please let the writers and our editor, Heather Helms, know what you think about the columns. It doesn't always have to be negative, but constructive criticism is always welcome.

I love nothing more than seeing that someone took a minute to respond to something I wrote.

Usually it's a scathing message of hatred, but that's fine if it's how you feel.

You can go to oudaily.com and find links to the opinion columns. From there you can leave a message for the writer. (You can be anonymous, for you cowardly types.)

I only ask that if you respond to a column you take the time to actually read the entire column and make sure you understand what has been written.

It's a pleasure to write a column for this page. I hope that you, the reader, enjoy it too. The columnists are volunteers who take time out of their week to give you something interesting to read.

Look for my next column in two weeks and get ready to respond. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Have a wonderful, prosperous semester, everyone.

--Lindsey Hodges is a journalism junior
hello there & you too