139th Executive Board to Lead The Exonian
Uppers Emily Pelliccia, Claire Jutabha and Erica Hogan will lead the 139th Editorial Board of The Exonian as editor-in-chief and managing editors, respectively.
Every year over Thanksgiving break, applicants for the Upper Board prepare intensive applications comprised of short answers, long essays and example articles. Upon their return to campus, applicants for the Executive Board undergo 15-minute interviews with the current board and the faculty advisers. Last Saturday night, the 138th Executive Board and the paper’s advisors met for the careful deliberation that determined the new Editorial Board.
Faculty Advisor and English Instructor Erica Plouffe Lazure explained that through the applications and interviews, the board and advisors got a good sense of the applicants’ passion and commitment to the paper. “We look for someone who is going to be ‘the next face of the newspaper’—someone who is responsible, open, has good judgement, works well with peers as well as adults,” she said.
Outgoing managing editor Alan Liu described the board’s selection process, listing the applicant’s written applications, writing skills, past work with the newspaper and leadership capabilities as critical factors in deliberations. The board also considered “an array of traits, like adaptability, approachability, diligence and perceptiveness,” he said. “There was never only one deciding factor for any position; each applicant was viewed holistically and with a critical lens.”
“We look for someone who is going to be ‘the next face of the newspaper’—someone who is responsible, open, has good judgement, works well with peers as well as adults.”
The 138th board and advisors placed considerable emphasis on selecting a board that would work well together. Outgoing Editor-in-chief Philip Kuhn said, “We tried to think through each applicant’s individual strengths and how these strengths would complement one another.”
Liu echoed this sentiment. “We looked for a long-standing commitment to the newspaper, diligence and the ability to communicate well with others, strangers and acquaintances alike,” he said. “I’d say those are the bare ingredients of a great editor.” Thanks to the 138th board’s critical and thorough discussion of each applicant’s abilities, Liu expressed confidence in the selected 139th board.
A desire to provide more guidance and support to the staff writers represents a major common goal of the new board. According to Pelliccia, this will not only require certain structural changes, but also a shift in the established culture of The Exonian.
“The priority of the 139th Board is to build a culture centered on the success of our writers by providing them with consistent training and support,” she said. “We will emphasize the importance of equipping all writers, particularly new ones, with the journalistic skills they need in order to be confident and effective as reporters for The Exonian. Our hope is to foster inclusivity and active collaboration between writers and editors.”
Jutabha’s short-term goals for the paper align with Pelliccia’s ideas. “I hope that we can make changes early in the year so that the 139th board can start off efficiently,” she said. “These changes will be things such as extending writers’ meetings and communicating effectively with the staff writers.”
Hogan agreed, and added that the 139th board is hoping to emphasize the importance of training their staff. “During my tenure as a writer, I saw a need for more guidance in the writing process,” she said. “The Exonian has had somewhat of a sink-or-swim environment in the past. The 139th board hopes to change that.”
As part of the effort to meet this goal, upper Willa Canfield will serve as the Director of Writing, working closely with writers through weekly workshops, training sessions and conferences in order to improve the journalistic strength of the Lower Board.
The outgoing editors and faculty advisors for The Exonian expressed confidence and enthusiasm for the 139th board’s future. English instructor and faculty advisor to The Exonian Elizabeth Dean said, “I’m excited to work with a new board that I know to be empathetic and prepared to engage with stories and sources as deeply as they do sensitively.”
Pelliccia commended her fellow Executive Board members. “Erica and Claire both bring significant experience and knowledge to the board,” she said. “I have worked with them over the course of the past year as staff writers and seen their creativity, strong reporting skills and commitment to the paper.”
Kuhn expressed his faith in the 139th board and lauded its new members. “I am very excited to pass the torch over to a group of energetic and thoughtful editors,” he said. “Throughout the board turnover process they all demonstrated a strong understanding of our newspaper’s values, a genuine passion for journalistic writing and, most importantly, many fresh ideas they were eager to start developing.”
Pelliccia too expressed excitement at the prospect of leading The Exonian for the next three terms, saying “I look forward to working with the talented members of the 139th Board to promote a supportive and inclusive environment for our writers, train them to become stronger journalists, and preserve the values of accuracy, quality and integrity that define The Exonian.”