The Tower Elects the 126th Editor-in-Chief

By Catherine O’Grady

The Tower, CUA’s only independent news source, held its editorial election on Thursday, November 21, for the duration of the 2019-2020 school year. Katie Ward, a junior mechanical engineering major and managing editor for the past two semesters from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, was unanimously elected for the position of editor-in-chief. 

Ward has been a part of The Tower since her freshman year, where she acted as copy editor and staff writer. She spent the first half of her sophomore year as news editor before claiming the title of managing editor, which she continued semester. Editor-in-chief was the next step in Ward’s journey.

“I do not know anyone else who could fit this role as editor in chief better than Katie,” said Emily Prendergast, Ward’s predecessor. “She has worked incredibly hard since her freshman year to improve The Tower and make this publication the best that it can be. I am excited to see what she does in this new role and I am confident that she will be a great leader for the team.”

Although The Tower has been a top priority for Ward during her time at Catholic, she has also branched out to other organizations on campus. Ward has shown her leadership skills by being an Orientation Advisor to incoming first-years at Catholic. She has also spent her past two spring breaks volunteering with Habitat for Humanity across the country. Ward has spent her time outside of classes interning in the Office of Marketing and Communications here at Catholic, and at PSE&G, New Jersey’s leading energy company. 

With the skills she has fostered, Ward wants to spend her time as editor-in-chief focusing on the organization and management of the responsibilities The Tower demands. 

“I am looking forward to focusing on the internal organization of The Tower to increase efficiency and coherence within our staff,” said Ward. “The three editors-in-chief I’ve been on staff with– Jimmy, Liz, and Emily– have helped to improve our relationship with the community, triple our staff size, and increase online readership tenfold. I think this is a great opportunity to start some new roles in The Tower to support that growth. I’m excited to get started on some things that will help our paper grow and flourish, like standing features, editor accountability, and some new business opportunities.”

Ward’s colleagues and co-workers of past and present have applauded her for her work on The Tower and can’t wait to see what she accomplished as editor-in-chief. 

“I am so glad to see more qualified and up and coming writers and editors rising towards the ranks like Katie,” said Duane Paul Murphy, a fellow editor from the class of 2019. “Ever since I started working with her during her first year or so at the paper, I knew she was destined to be Editor-in-Chief of the publication. I hope she continues to bring more inclusive voices at the table, including more women since the university is more than 50% female.”