Sophomore Sam Guzik was named editor in chief of Student Life for the 2008-2009 school year. The announcement was made last Friday at the annual banquet by Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI), the board that oversees Student Life.
Guzik, currently the senior News editor, competed against four other candidates to claim the title of editor in chief. His tenure will begin on April 1 of this year.
As editor in chief, Guzik will be responsible for hiring staff, overseeing the production of the newspaper and making all final editorial decisions.
Guzik has been heavily involved in Student Life since the beginning of his freshman year, rising from staff reporter to assignments editor to senior news editor.
“I was definitely pleasantly surprised. There were a lot of good candidates that were running. It’s a very big job, and I’m looking forward to taking it on. I have very big shoes to fill,” he said.
One of Guzik’s main goals is to create a big push for online coverage and further development of the newspaper’s Web site.
“Going forward, we’re going to be focusing on a combination of increasing our online presence-following the trend of journalism-and focusing on issues that are serious and important to the University in a way that is interesting to members of the community.”
Guzik looked forward to the opportunities in the coming year, including the vice presidential debates at the University and the national presidential election.
“[The elections] are going to be a very big part of campus next year, regardless of whether people are politically involved or not. It’s going to be a big effort of our paper to really try and educate voters. Part of our obligation to the community is not only to tell students about what’s going on but also to help people make informed decisions.”
WUSMI selected Guzik on Friday based upon his application, the Board’s interview and the recommendation of the staff.
While the last sophomore to take on the job of editor in chief was elected five years ago, Erin Fults, the current editor in chief, expressed optimism toward the WUSMI selection of Guzik.
“I am really happy to have Sam take this position. He has always been dependable and a hard worker,” said Fults. “I know he will take the paper to great places and I am proud to leave Student Life in his hands.”
In addition to announcing the editor in chief, the Board also awarded the Gregory M. Freeman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Journalism to senior and executive editor David Brody.