For the fifth year in a row, two women have been chosen to lead The Daily Collegian into the next academic year.
The Collegian's Board of Directors last night elected Lynne Funk (junior-journalism) to be the editor-in-chief and Rebecca Novac (junior-journalism) to be business manager for 2003-04.
Funk competed for the head news position against sports staff writer Chris Korman (junior-English). Novac was unopposed.
The board announced its decisions after final interviews with the candidates last night. During the application process, the students submitted written proposals for the coming year and collected recommendations from people outside the Collegian.
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Board members deliberated in a closed session last night and announced their choices to a tense newsroom filled with staff monitoring the situation in Iraq.
Board Chairman Donald Cistaro said the board labored over the editor-in-chief decision for about an hour.
"Both of them have demonstrated remarkable talent," Cistaro said. Each brought a set of valuable skills to the process, he added.
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Novac succeeds Megan Janke (senior-advertising), and Funk will take over for Alison Kepner (senior-journalism and history).
During her interview, Novac said ensuring that her staff members are self-motivated will be key to increasing revenue and circulation next year.
"I want people to enjoy themselves," she said. "I want them to be happy here."
Novac said she would love to get every student at Penn State to make a habit out of picking up the newspaper.
"I'm excited to make the Collegian better for students," she added.
Novac joined the Collegian in spring 2002 as an account executive. Since then, she has also served as sales manager and advertising manager.
Funk joined the Collegian in fall 2000. She has reported on student government and police/fire/courts news and also served as metro editor, opinion page editor and assistant copy desk chief.
"I have spent so many hours here. I really truly found a home," Funk said during the interview. "Why not spend my senior year here too?"
Funk said she wanted to improve features writing in the paper and continue the integration of photos, graphics and copy overseen by the managing editor of design, a recently created position.
By tradition, the new executives assume their duties at 6:15 a.m. on the day the last issue of the spring semester arrives in newsracks -- May 2 this year. The positions run for 12 months.
