After witnessing the biggest news story of their lives, members of The Daily Pennsylvanian staff will make some news of their own tomorrow.
The 118th Board of Editors and Managers will officially take the helm of the news organization at the DP's annual gala tomorrow night at the Inn at Penn, with over 250 guests on hand to help celebrate the inauguration. The evening, a long-standing Penn tradition in itself, will also honor the outgoing 117th Board.
Over the past year, the DP was recognized as a driving force for innovation in the field of collegiate journalism, winning the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award in October.
The DP, along with 34th Street Magazine, also garnered awards for reporting and design. The DP's post-Sept. 11 coverage -- represented by the Sept. 12 issue headlined "Terrorists strike New York, Washington" -- received the ACP's second place award for best special edition. Ball State University pocketed first place with its Daily News at the ACP annual convention.
Although the 117th Board will surely enjoy the sunshine outside the windowless 4015 Walnut St. office, it will not forget covering the issues that faced Penn -- and the nation -- over the past year. To keep the Penn community informed, reporters tackled everything from changes in the campus dining plan and the celebration of 125 years of women at Penn to the opening of the Penn-assisted school and the new Health System structure.
Tomorrow's banquet will feature a keynote address by 1985 College graduate and DP alumnus Stefan Fatsis, a Wall Street Journal reporter and author of The New York Times bestseller Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players. Other speakers include University President Judith Rodin and incoming Executive Editor Matthew Mugmon.
Mugmon, a College junior from Columbia, Md., will head the new board after serving as managing editor of the DP's arts and entertainment weekly, 34th Street Magazine.
Noting that "accuracy and integrity are the cornerstones of any publication," Mugmon is looking forward to continuing a long-standing tradition of excellence at the DP.
He says the new board will focus on dailypennsylvanian.com, the DP's interactive Web site, over the upcoming year.
"We hope to make it an even more valuable resource for students and for the Penn community at large," Mugmon said.
Alongside Mugmon, Tristan Schweiger and Stephanie Beyer will steer hundreds of DP staffers and 27 editors and managers.
Schweiger, a College junior from Harrington, Del., will oversee the daily editorial operations of the organization as the incoming managing editor. Having covered many of the top beats on the paper -- including administration, city and politics and facilities and residences -- he will now supervise 15 editors and oversee all news and sports content.
While Schweiger will ensure that the paper gets put to bed every night, College junior Stephanie Beyer will step in as business manager, running the daytime operations of the corporation.
Beyer, an Alexandria, Va., native, previously served as production manager and was a member of the DP's executive board last term. Beyer recognizes the DP's value as a teaching tool. "I know this will be the best learning experience [our staffers] will have this year."
She will act as vice president of the corporation and chairwoman of the business board.
Incoming 34th Street Magazine Editor-in-Chief Asher Hawkins, a College junior from Watertown, Mass., will lead the arts and entertainment publication. Hawkins formerly served as features editor and film section editor of the weekly magazine.
Other members of the 118th Editorial Board are Jonathan Shazar, Steven Brauntuch, Alexis Gilbert, Marla Dunn, Alyssa Litman, Amy Potter, Dan McQuade, Lance Stier, Lauren Karp, Angie Louie, Lisa Benedetti, Jessica Andersen, Jarrod Ballou, Samantha Melamed, Ross Clark, Scott Vogel and Vivian Hsu.
The Business Board consists of Beyer, Deryn Dobson, David Roman, Kim Milans, Colin Leonard, Caitrin Lally and Tammy Meister.
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