With Ohio State’s last quarter coming to an end, 12 new editors are preparing to take their seats in The Lantern newsroom and lead the paper into the first Autumn Semester the university has seen since the 1920s.

Being in the news business is all about change, and the staff is used to not living the same day twice. For most of the incoming editors, their new roles are sure to be a big transition that they await with eagerness and nervous anticipation.

Ally Marotti, a third-year in journalism and comparative cultural studies, will be taking over as editor-in-chief, and said she is thrilled for her new role as newsroom leader.

“I’ll be the last line of defense so that’s an added pressure point,” Marotti said. “I’m the last person to see things before it goes to print … But I’m excited to take on that responsibility and that challenge.”

Marotti has been involved with The Lantern since her sophomore year. She spent two quarters as the campus editor and is currently in her second quarter as copy chief.

Marotti said she looks forward to getting the new staff more well-rounded in their knowledge and application of all aspects of the paper – something she continuously strives to work on herself. She wants to see editors experienced with things like multimedia, layouts and online publishing so The Lantern can stay ahead of breaking news in both print and electronic forms.

“The great thing about The Lantern is that every day is a giant learning experience,” Marotti says. “That’s what I love so much about it. It’s never boring.”

Now overseeing the entire staff, Marotti is embracing the chance to influence OSU’s up-and-coming journalists.

“Someone told me once that you should always try to impact people rather than impress them, and that’s something that I try to live my life by,” Marotti said. “I’m really passionate about journalism and I love the people aspect – getting to know people and working with them and helping them share their stories.”

The new managing editor for content is Michael Periatt, second-year in journalism and political science. He worked as this year’s assistant sports editor and said he is looking forward to taking a more active role in the direction of the paper.

“We have a really talented staff for next year,” Periatt said. “I’m excited to have a hand in it. It’s going to be another great year.”

Kristen Mitchell, a second-year in journalism, began her involvement with The Lantern as an independent study student and will head up the paper’s campus section next year.

“The job is going to be a lot of responsibility,” Mitchell said. “But it’s something I’m really looking forward to doing, and I’m excited to really contribute more to The Lantern and get more involved with journalism at Ohio State.”

Mitchell said though The Lantern does not print over the summer, she and other staffers will continue producing content and covering breaking news for email editions and the website.

Jackie Storer, The Lantern‘s next managing editor for design, is a third-year in journalism and began contributing through her coursework. She said she is interested in anything related to multimedia and design and is excited to work with the website’s video content and the paper’s visual appeal.

“I want to design a front page that will make people want to pick up the paper just because it looks cool,” Storer said. “I don’t want to stray too far from what is supposed to be there, but I want to draw people in.”

The new editors are eager to work with writers and reporters of all levels of experience, grateful for the chance to teach as well as learn.

“We’ve got a good mix of people coming back and new people,” Periatt said. “The Lantern is held in a pretty high regard and every editorial staff has a job to maintain that. And when we’re done next year, if we can push it a little bit further, that would be a good legacy to leave.”

Editor in chief – Ally Marotti
Managing editor for content – Michael Periatt
Managing editor for design – Jackie Storer
Copy chief – Lindsey Barrett
Campus editor – Kristen Mitchell
Sports editor – Pat Brennan
Asst. sports editor – Patrick Maks
[a+e] editor – Sarah Pfledderer
Asst. [a+e] editor – Caitlin Essig
Design editor – Christopher Braun
Photo editor – Andrew Holleran
Asst. photo editor – Daniel Chi
Multimedia editor – Cody Cousino
Asst. multimedia editors – Lauren Clark and John Wernecke
Oller project reporter – Emily Tara