The Editor Selection Committee confirmed her to the position of 135th DTH editor Saturday morning, and Hunter said she is eager to pass on the lessons she has learned over the years.
"I am so excited," said the junior from Newburgh, N.Y. "This has been a goal of mine for so long."
The 11-member Editor Selection Committee agreed that Hunter was a qualified candidate, and the fact that she was the only applicant did not diminish her ability to impress committee members with her articulate, thoughtful presentation.
"We certainly weren't easy on (Katie)," said junior Tiffany Hutchins, one of seven at-large members of the selection committee. "There were some difficult questions, and she answered them really well."
The committee, which also included four DTH staff members, met with Hunter for a little more than an hour. After fielding questions from the committee, Hunter left the room for the committee to vote, a vote which is taken without any prior discussion.
She was unanimously accepted as the new DTH editor.
Hunter called the process "almost surreal" because of the combination of adrenaline, caffeine and excitement that rushed through her body. "There was a level of intimidation, but I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be," she said.
Freshman Daniel Thigpen, who represented DTH assistant editors on the committee, said seeing Hunter in action at the paper has convinced him she is fully capable of serving as editor.
"It really wasn't a hard decision," he said. "She had me at 'hello.'"
