STEVEN CARRILLO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Journalism sophomore Jeff Sklar has been named editor in chief of the Wildcat for the summer and upcoming fall semester. Sklar said, among other things, he plans to revamp the design of the paper.

After only two semesters at the Arizona Daily Wildcat, Jeff Sklar has been named editor in chief for the summer and upcoming fall semester.

Sklar, a journalism sophomore, said he plans to fine-tune the design of the paper, as well as include more in-depth stories covering campus events.

ãI would like to see the reporters in the different sections of the paper become more deeply interested in campus events,ä he said.

Maggie Burnett, current editor in chief, hired Sklar as her assistant in August when she was news editor. She has confidence he can get the job done.

ãHeâs well versed in that heâs handled everything from the boojum crisis to the deep slice taken out of this universityâs budget,ä Burnett said.

ãHeâs extremely in tune with the campus community, and Iâm proud to have him as my successor.ä

Sklar graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School, where he was editor in chief of the yearbook, newspaper and literary magazine.

He spent his freshman year of college at the University of Southern California, where he worked as a reporter and assignment editor for the Daily Trojan, USCâs student newspaper.

After transferring to UA last summer, Sklar began working at the Wildcat as assistant news editor for the fall semester.

He spent this semester working as the news editor before being named editor in chief.

ãMy passion is driven by a desire to make the paper better, to get the news fairly and accurately, to reach out to all the student readers and the hope that the Wildcat can make change in the community,ä Sklar said. ãIâm excited for the challenge.ä

Daniel Scarpinato, assistant news editor of the Wildcat, said he looks forward to working with Sklar in the future.

ãJeff has been a friend, a mentor, really like a brother, and Iâm so excited to be working by his side next year,ä he said.

Sklar will be a junior next semester, which makes him one of the younger editors in chief in the Wildcatâs history. Most past editors in chief at the paper have been seniors.

ãHeâs only 19, so heâs the youngest editor weâve had in a while,ä said Cyndy Cole, a news reporter for the Wildcat.

ãHe canât buy us a beer yet, which is a problem,ä she added.

Mark Woodhams, director of Arizona Student Media, said itâs amazing how far Sklar has come in the two semesters he has spent at the Wildcat.

ãHe was a walk-on in the fall,ä Woodhams said. ãHe had never set foot in the Wildcat before.ä

Woodhams said Sklarâs rapid rise to the highest position at the Wildcat is remarkable.

ãItâs a real tribute to how well-regarded he is,ä he said

Cole said Sklarâs versatility will lend to his ability to be an effective leader.

ãYouâll be at a party with him and at midnight heâll suddenly ask you if you want to go to the casinos,ä Cole said.

However, she also said heâs ãnot as off-the-wall as past editors.ä

ãJeffâs like Steve Forbes,ä Cole said. ãHeâs very serious and analytical.ä