After six months as editor in chief of the Arizona Daily Wildcat, Christine Verges has resigned in order to pursue a job offer at another publication.

Wildcat sports editor Monty Phan will be taking her place, pending official approval by the Board of Student Publications Thursday.

Verges, fifth-semester University of Arizona graduate student, graduated from Oregon State University in 1993 with a bachelor of arts in English. She began at the Wildcat as a general assignment reporter in August 1994, and was later appointed copy chief.

"I learned more (about journalism) at the Wildcat than in any lecture hall or in any book," she said.

The most difficult thing, she said, was dealing with complaints from campus groups that they were not getting enough coverage.

It is impossible for any newspaper to cover every event, let alone a student-run newspaper, she said.

"It's one of the hardest lessons of journalism. If everyone on campus was 100 percent happy with everything that went in the paper, then I wouldn't be doing my job," Verges said.

The project "nearest and dearest to my heart," she said, was getting the on-line version of the Wildcat up and running.

Mark Woodhams, director of student publications, said Verges should be most proud of this.

"She moved the Wildcat to a sophisticated on-line presence," he said.

Phan will do well as editor in chief, Woodhams said, because of his Wildcat experience and his understanding of the paper's position in the community.

Verges said she has every confidence in Phan taking over as editor in chief.

Phan, who changed his major from engineering to journalism last year, started at the Wildcat as a sports reporter in August 1994. He received the Pulliam journalism scholarship and was awarded an internship at the Orange County Register last summer. In August 1995 he was named sports editor. Patrick Klein, assistant sports editor, will take over Phan's position.

Phan said the transition will not affect the quality of the Wildcat. "I don't plan on making any sweeping changes."

Woodhams said it is "quite rare" for an editor in chief to leave mid-semester.