After a semester under the direction of Lauren LePage, the Arizona Daily Wildcat will take on a new editor-in-chief next semester.

Nickolas Seibel, a regional development junior who is currently in his fourth semester at the Daily Wildcat, will be taking over the head position.

“”I would really like the Daily Wildcat to be something that is as essential to University of Arizona students as eating and drinking – more essential than going to class, more essential than getting sleep,”” Seibel said. “”I really want the Daily Wildcat to be something that is a requirement for every student everyday.””

In his previous four semesters, Seibel has worked his way up from a page designer to a senior designer, to assistant news editor and most recently, managing editor.

LePage said the news section will be the key to the future of the paper.

“”The newspaper, as it moves forward, it really needs strong news coverage,”” LePage said. “”I think that is one of our biggest weaknesses right now. The whole point of a newspaper is to cover the news.””

Seibel said his time as managing editor will allow him to make a smooth transition into his new role as editor-in-chief.

“”Having been here in the second-in-command spot, I have had a chance to really get an idea of what the job entails, and I am really excited about the opportunity,”” Seibel said.

While each semester will pose different obstacles, Seibel said he will not allow himself to trip on some of the pitfalls that have befallen the newspaper in the past.

“”The Daily Wildcat is an interesting creature. I think many newspaper folks don’t necessarily know what goes on every night to make the miracle of a daily newspaper happen,”” he said. “”As editor-in-chief, I am going to do my best to stay on top of everything that’s going in the newspaper, but I think realistically it is impossible for one person to read every story in every paper, every day.””

LePage said her advice to the future editor-in-chief is that he should be very selective when it comes to building his staff.

“”Hiring well is the most important thing,”” LePage said. “”Hiring people who are really well skilled and passionate in journalism, especially in these times because there is a lot of bad journalism going on right now.””

Seibel said the most difficult part of the next semester will be to live up to the legacy that previous semesters of the Daily Wildcat have left behind.

“”The most challenging thing about being editor-in-chief from my perspective is you walk into the conference room where we have our daily budget meetings … you walk into that room and one entire wall of it is bound volumes of basically the Daily Wildcat for the last 110 years,”” Seibel said. “”You realize that as editor-in-chief, I’m going to be responsible for one semester and what happens with the newspaper this one semester, but I’m also going to be the custodian of those people that have held this tradition, that have done this work for the last 220 semesters. And that’s a pretty daunting test.””

The newspaper industry is changing, and since people on the UA campus are still looking to pick up a daily newspaper, it will be the Daily Wildcat’s responsibility to provide good, solid journalism, LePage said.

“”Since we still have people picking up our paper, we really, really, really need to make sure that we’re delivering good news content that is relevant and timely and complete and easy to read,”” LePage said.