Editor's Letter: New chief, new challenges

I am pleased to announce that Mary Marshall has been elected Editor in Chief of The Setonian for the 2015-16 academic year. I have worked with Mary since she joined the news team as a freshman staff writer when I was a sophomore editor, so I know firsthand how talented, dedicated and ambitious she is. While I was News Editor that first year, Mary volunteered for every last-minute story we needed covered by a staff writer. I can remember saying, “Oh no, we need someone at such and such event in an hour, call Mary!” She also would come in on production nights and help with InDesign (the program we use to put the newspaper pages together). I was so impressed that a freshman could figure out how to fix a layout or system problem that no senior editor could. So when she joined the editorial team, I knew she would make a perfect teammate, and I was not disappointed. The next year we worked side by side as News Editor and Assistant News Editor. That year Mary became my right-hand man and a very good friend here at Seton Hall. From covering the Jessica Moore murder trials in Newark (and getting our car towed while there) to almost walking out of production together one night, we have always had each other’s backs. From there Mary took over the news section and has made it into a professional, reliable source for campus news. She has realized the need for stories that inform the community and not just complain about our university. Now I am so thrilled to be passing on the position of Editor in Chief to her. Mary seriously does not love anything on this campus more than the newspaper. I am almost positive she would jump in front of a train to save a copy of it. I have never met someone who has been more loyal and dedicated to something than she is toward this newspaper. Mary plans on holding the Setonian to high standards of integrity and professionalism and I know she will succeed in that. She is a great leader, friend and journalist and I am sure that leading The Setonian is just one of the many great things she will do in her career and life.