Working hours that extend deep into the night, leading a staff of more than 140 students and maintaining the award-winning Arizona Daily Wildcat’s reputation all characterize the role of the publication’s editor in chief.

Despite the intensity of the position, journalism senior Nicole Santa Cruz will remain editor in chief for the UA’s independent, student-run newspaper this spring.

“”I’m really excited because I still have a lot of motivation and drive left in me to carry on into next semester,”” Santa Cruz said.

Santa Cruz’s decision to lead the Daily Wildcat for a second consecutive semester is somewhat unusual.

“”Normally, the editor in chief feels burned out after their stint,”” said Mark Woodhams, director of Arizona Student Media. “”It’s a very demanding job.””

Before Aaron Mackey, the editor in chief before Santa Cruz, no one had held the head editor position for consecutive semesters in 10 years.

Santa Cruz said she decided to apply for the position again because felt she could use the experience she gained as editor in chief to improve the paper.

“”I feel like I’m just getting my feet wet,”” she said.

Nathan Olivarez-Giles, photo editor of the Wildcat and a senior majoring in Mexican-American studies and journalism, said he has seen Santa Cruz grow as an editor.

“”She seems more confident than I’ve ever seen her before to take the reins of the paper,”” Olivarez-Giles said.

The Arizona Student Media Board, an independent group of faculty, students and staff, selects each semester’s editor in chief from a pool of applicants.

This year, two candidates submitted applications consisting of essays outlining their visions for the next semester’s paper, resumes, transcripts and references.

“”Nicole was able to convince the board that she still had the energy to complete the job as editor in chief,”” Woodhams said.

Before this summer, the board chose Santa Cruz as editor in chief even though she had only been a Wildcat news reporter for one year and did not have any prior editing experience.

“”It would have been really easy to say the cards were stacked against her,”” Olivarez-Giles said. “”I don’t know what I would have done in that situation.””

Under Santa Cruz’s leadership, the Arizona Daily Wildcat won the first place Best in Show award for daily tabloids at this year’s Associated Collegiate Press College Media Convention in St. Louis, Mo.

“”She brought an excitement to her position that I hadn’t seen before,”” Olivarez-Giles said.