Junior Sarah Kliff has been named editor in chief of Student Life for the 2006-2007 school year, announced the newspaper’s publisher, Washington University Student Media, Inc., at its annual banquet Friday night.
Kliff, who served as senior news editor last semester, is currently studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
“I’m really, really excited,” said Kliff. “I look forward to returning to campus, and [Student Life] is one of the main reasons for that. I’ve loved being involved in Student Life for the past three years, and I’m excited to be involved next year.”
Being in Scotland for the rest of the semester will present unique challenges for Kliff when the transition to next year’s staff occurs at the beginning of April. The first editor in chief to be chosen while abroad, Kliff plans to work closely with current staff members up to and during the transition and has set up a phone number with a St. Louis area code to increase her ability to quickly address the staff’s questions and concerns. She also hopes to return to St. Louis over the summer if her finances and commitments allow it.
As editor in chief, Kliff will be responsible for hiring next year’s staff, overseeing the newspaper’s production and making the final decisions about the paper’s content before it is printed.
WUSMI’s Board of Directors interviewed Kliff via a conference call before making its final decision. Factored into that decision were the results of a staff interview and vote that had taken place two weeks earlier.
Student Life’s current editor in chief, senior Margaret Bauer, is confident that the board made the correct choice.
“I feel good about it,” said Bauer. “It seems like the staff is very much behind her and very enthusiastic. [Sarah is] so on top of everything. She’ll do a fantastic job, I have no doubt about it.”
“A main part of my application was about making Student Life a very accessible publication to its readership,” said Kliff. “That involves making sure that we have clear and well-reported articles, as well as making sure that our readers have a clear understanding of what we do. Also, there’s the redesigning of our Web site to make us easier to access by anyone.”
Kliff looks forward to returning to both Student Life and to campus in the fall.
“I miss the staff and just hanging out in basement of Women’s Building working at the paper,” said Kliff. “I also miss the students. Wash. U. has a very unique student body that you can’t find just anywhere.”