Several members of the JMC faculty had been encouraging senior magazine major Melissa Ramaley to apply for the position of Burr editor for a couple semesters.

"I hadn't had time before," Ramaley said, as she relaxed on a couch outside the conference room after her interview. "But I have time now."

Ramaley, who has worked for the Burr as a writer and as chief copy editor, said her main goal for the publication was to make it a magazine from which readers could learn.

"I want to make it into a reflection of the discovery of college students," she said. "If a reader couldn't learn something from the magazine, I wouldn't be accomplishing my goal."

She also said she would make the magazine a team effort, allowing the staff to have a lot of input instead of making the magazine a reflection of only her ideas.

The interview went well, Ramaley said, except for one question.

"They both had the same strong points and qualifications," she said. "What it came down to was who had more passion during the interview."

"They told me to give them two story ideas," she said. "And I had probably 20 ideas written down at home, but I hadn't had time to look them over.

I just had to come up with a couple out of thin air, and it didn't really work."

As Ramaley continued to wait outside the conference room, junior magazine major Steven Harbaugh sat down with the board members to tell them about his visions for the Burr.

"I like how the articles in the Burr show diversity and depth, and I'd want to continue that," Harbaugh said.

He also said he'd like to see the Cyburr, the online version of the magazine, become more reflective of the print version in the design of the publication.

After his interview, Harbaugh said although he was nervous before going in for the interview, he became more relaxed once he began talking.

However, he said he wasn't expecting to get the position.

"I really just wanted the experience of the interview," he said.

The Media Board didn't announce the Burr editor until about 30 minutes after Harbaugh's interview.

Later, board member and senior broadcast news major Danielle Wagner said the decision had been extremely difficult.

She said the Board ended up basing their decision on who seemed the most passionate about the publication.

And that person was Harbaugh.

Later, he said he is excited about his new position, and he hopes to work with Ramaley on the Burr this semester.

Click here to find out how the JMC Media Board chose the candidates

Click here to find out who the new TV2 general manager is - and what that person has done to earn the position

Click here to find out whether the Stater will become a "teaching" newspaper next semester, or one of greater political diversity

Story by Angelique McKowan