by Hugh Kellenberger
Staff Writer
David M. Forbes has been selected as the 70th Editor-in-Chief of
The Appalachian by Vice Chancellor for Student Development Dr. Gregory
S. Blimling.
Forbes will succeed James M. Nix when he takes control at the beginning
of the fall semester.
“I have a really good feeling about it,” Forbes said.
“It is fortunate that I have a lot of really capable people
coming back.”
Forbes, a rising senior journalism major, is from South Mills, N.C.
His career in journalism began during his senior year of Currituck
County High School, when he joined the staff of his school paper,
The Knight’s Herald, as the opinion page editor.
He joined the staff of The Appalachian in the fall of 2001 as a
freshman. He began covering the clubs & organizations beat.
“I found it was something I really liked doing. I liked researching
something, talking to people and getting something that was happening
in the university on paper,” Forbes said.
Since then, Forbes has written for the multicultural beat and covered
the Student Government Association (SGA).
“There were some controversial issues I ended up covering
then, and some political struggles in SGA,” Forbes said. “I
really felt at that point that The Appalachian was something that
was vital, that what I was writing was helping to inform students
and I was part of something bigger and greater.”
During the spring semester last year he was named senior staff writer
and a member of the editorial board.
He continued as a senior staff writer last fall and covering Business
Affairs. He left partway through the semester because of academic
reasons.
“I had to take a sabbatical I guess you would call it, but
I am really looking forward to working here at The Appalachian and
overseeing an excellent staff,” Forbes said.
Forbes has big plans for the future of The Appalachian. The paper’s
design will undergo a dramatic change over the summer, thanks in
large part to the work of current Associate Editor for Production
Operations Jessica D. Hines.
“It is going to look a lot more modern and is something that
will make students want to pick it up more and read it,” Forbes
said.
Plans are also in place to enlarge the opinion section of the paper
and work toward more investigative research.
“We are going to bring a depth and human face to larger issues,”
Forbes said.
Forbes has named Hugh W. Kellenberger as Associate Editor for News
Operations and Dana M. Sigmon as Associate Editor for Production
Operations for the 2004-2005 year.
“David will make a fine Editor-in-Chief,” Director of
Student Publications David Freeman said. “The advice I have
given him is to look for the experience on staff and bring them
back next year.” |
