For The Daily Orange staff, February is known not only for its Groundhog, Valentines and Presidents’ days, but also as the period for the staff’s complete overhaul.

Each year in February, all staff members have the opportunity to quit the paper, change editorial positions, or fill the same position they held the previous semester. This transition period between semesters also gives departing seniors the opportunity to leave the paper and focus their time on graduating, said Editor in Chief Tito Bottitta, a senior information studies major.

“It would be especially difficult to make changes at the beginning and end of each semester. That’s why it starts in February,” Bottitta said.

Bottitta is remaining as editor in chief for a second year, an act that has not occurred the paper’s recent history.

“I think I’m crazy,” Bottitta said. “But I came back in part because last semester was the most fun I’ve had in the past three years. There’s more talent here now than I’ve seen, and I think we can utilize the staff’s enthusiasm to continue the paper’s development.”

The Features section is also seeing some new faces. With the departure of Tiffany Lankes and Ashley Joyner, Colin Dabkowski, a junior magazine and Spanish major, is taking charge as features editor and Zack Denfeld, a junior policy studies major, is stepping into the assistant features editor position.

“I’m expecting to put out a daily paper of superior quality,” said Dabkowski.

David Hauslaib, a sophomore magazine and African-American studies major, remains as opinion editor.

“I think they will do a good job,” said Hauslaib of Dabkowski and Denfeld.

The photo department has a large number of new photographers, said Photo Editor Amy Young, a graduate student studying photography.

“They’re going to be a lot more experienced than they have been in the past,” Young added.

Justin Young, a sophomore newspaper major, is filling the news editor role again this semester, and is anxious to take the section to higher levels this spring, along with freshman Ryan Gainor, a newspaper major, and Daniel Rivero, an undecided freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences.

“Every time you go into a new semester you should have the highest expectations possible,” Justin Young said.

Published on February 2, 2003 at 12:00 pm