A new Editor-in-Chief and two Managing Editors have been selected to lead The Daily Texan beginning this summer and continuing into 2021.
Emily Caldwell, a journalism and Latin American studies senior, has been elected EIC.
Sami Sparber, a journalism and political thought senior, has been selected as summer Managing Editor.
Megan Menchaca, a journalism and government senior, has been selected as fall Managing Editor.
Daily Texan EICs and Managing Editors serve as board members of Friends of The Daily Texan during their terms.
Emily Caldwell says she’s “so incredibly excited and honored” to serve as the Texan’s editor-in-chief for the next year.
A journalism and Latin American studies senior from College Station, she started working at The Texan the summer after her freshman year. She was hired by the opinion department as a columnist, a position she held for two semesters before becoming an opinion associate editor.
Emily was an associate editor for two semesters as well before spending some time in the social media department as a social media staffer.
She ran in campus-wide elections for the editor-in-chief position in late February and officially took over on June 1.
“I hope to accomplish three main goals during my time as editor-in-chief: 1. foster a more welcoming and encouraging community at the Texan for all students on staff, 2. incorporate student feedback and input into the opinion department’s content production process, and 3. expand the Texan’s recruitment practices to reach more communities often underrepresented at the Texan.
“As leader of the Texan’s editorial board, I want to continue to hold the University accountable, whether that be through investigative projects, well-researched editorials or conducting crucial interviews with powerful voices on campus.
“The Texan has become the home I never knew I needed at UT, and after bouncing around from organization to organization when I first started college, the Texan became who I am and why I do what I do,” she added. “I owe many of my best friendships, prized accomplishments and defining moments to the Texan, and I want to ensure other students can find the home I found in the Texan’s grungy basement.”
Sami Sparber, summer Managing Editor, is a journalism and political thought senior hailing from the Chicago suburbs.
Sami started at the Texan as a general news reporter during her freshman year. Since then, she’s been the Texan’s first-ever state/national news reporter, first-ever civic engagement reporter, news editor, projects editor and this summer, she’s leading the Texan (remotely) as managing editor.
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The leadership and reporting experience Sami gained in the basement helped her land internships at the Houston Chronicle, NBC News, The Texas Tribune and The Wall Street Journal.
As a reporter, Sami is most interested in how the decisions of those in power affect everyday people. Sami’s goals as managing editor include emphasizing accountability and public service journalism, and “supporting the staff as we navigate our new normal.”
When not in the basement, you can find Sami taking fitness classes or searching for the best cold brew coffee in town.
Megan Menchaca, the fall Managing Editor of The Daily Texan, is a journalism and government senior from Dallas.
Since joining The Texan during her freshman year, she’s held 10 different positions on staff, including social media editor, news editor and director of digital strategy.
Along with working for the paper, she’s also landed internships at the Austin American-Statesman, The Texas Tribune, the Dallas Morning News and the New York Times Student Journalism Institute.
In the rare instances where she has free time, you can find her listening to NPR podcasts or catching up on the latest Netflix political dramas.
She will graduate “hopefully” in spring 2021 and plans to pursue a career as a digital journalist.
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