And so it begins...

Trent Lowe
Asst. News Editor

As one drags herself out the door, another comes to fill the void.

The U’s Publications Council recently named Sara Copeland as the editor-in-chief of The Daily Utah Chronicle for the 2009-2010 academic year. Copeland will assume her new role May 17, overseeing the summer editions of the paper before chaos ensues following the start of the Fall 2010 semester.

Though the majority of those on the Publication Council voted for Copeland, there were those who were defiant in their vote.

“She seemed very young to me,” said Rochelle McConkie, a student member of the council. “She brought up her boyfriend a few times, which showed a bit of immaturity, and she’s not Mormon, which is a bit weird.”

The Daily Utah Chronicle, which has won various national journalism awards, including being named the second-best college newspaper in the United States by the Society of Professional Journalists, is poised to die a triumphant death at the hands of Copeland, and she appears to many as none-too-worried.

“Don’t make me sound like an idiot,” Copeland said, “but I’ve been here awhile, so I know a lot about several different sections.”

Time will be the only indicator of Copeland’s success, but many are skeptical of Copeland’s leadership abilities.

“Bitterness may be my bias, but I almost want to keep working here after I graduate just so I can see the whole ship go down,” said Craig Blake, the Chronicle’s current opinion editor who also interviewed for the editor-in-chief position. “Give it a few months and it’ll be like taking a free ride on the Titanic.”

t.lowe@chronicle.utah.edu