College junior Evan Mah was elected the next editor in chief of The Emory Wheel on Sunday.

Mah received 14 votes and one abstention from the newspaper’s editorial board and staff members.

Mah, who ran uncontested for the position, joined the Wheel during his freshman year, starting as a writer for the Arts & Living section before becoming assistant Arts & Living editor that same year. He then became Arts & Living editor as a sophomore and features editor as a junior.

As editor in chief, Mah said he hopes to integrate the newspaper more fully into the Emory community, “connecting the Wheel with the student body.”

“One of my biggest goals is making The Emory Wheel a more student-oriented newspaper that showcases writing and stories that students will find more appealing and relevant to their lives — that way, the paper and the campus will be more connected,” Mah said.

Additionally, Mah explained that he is excited to help the newspaper move forward as a publication by encouraging stronger communication between editors and writers.

“To get those stories that people will want to read, [we] have to foster better relations with the team of writers that we have and [make] sure they feel that they’re part of The Emory Wheel,” he said. “If they feel that they’re part of a family, they’re going to have that initiative and look for stories. [They’ll] come up with their own ideas rather than editors giving them their ideas.”

Initially, Mah, who is a sociology and journalism double major, was hesitant to run for the position because of his negative experiences of serving as yearbook editor at his high school, he explained.

“Basically, I had a staff that wasn’t behind me and it was a very stressful process that took away my senior year,” he explained. “The relationships that I had with my staff were really pathetic. I felt that with the [Wheel] staff that would be working with me, we could do great things. I felt that if I were going to move forward in my relationship with The Emory Wheel, I had to take that next step.”

Mah said that he ultimately decided to run not only because he felt that he was “fully capable of doing a very good job as editor” but also because he wanted to leave a lasting impact on the Wheel, which he explained is his sole extracurricular activity.

Current Wheel Editor in Chief and College senior Molly Davis noted that she and Mah will soon discuss his plans for the Wheel and his upcoming transition into the new role.

She said that she is confident that the Wheel will progress under his leadership.

“One of his biggest strengths is in terms of creativity — not only with layout and design but also with story ideas,” she said. “I think he’ll give a really fresh look and feel to The Emory Wheel, which is something that’s definitely needed. I hope that despite the many challenges that come with being editor in chief, he will use his talents to continue to improve the Wheel.”

Mah will take over as editor in chief after spring break and Davis will train him during the upcoming weeks to prepare him for the position.

— Contact Stephanie Fang.