Running the largest college newspaper in Connecticut is not an easy job, but the rewards are tremendous, according to this year's editor-in-chief of The Daily Campus, Jason Jakubowski.

Jakubowski knows the responsibilities he has to the 10,000 students, faculty and staff that read the paper every day. A junior majoring in political science, he takes the job of bringing UConn news to the University community seriously and with pride.

"I wanted to do something at UConn more than just the average student. I wanted to make a difference somewhere along the line," Jakubowski says about his decision to become editor.

Jakubowski's interest in journalism started at an early age - he launched his first newspaper during elementary school, in his hometown of New Britain.

"In the fifth grade, my best friend and I made a newspaper for our class - very cut and paste. It only came out a few times a year," he says.

Pursuing his interest in journalism, Jakubowski also worked on his high school newspaper, and he knew he wanted to continue in the field in college.

The choice to come to UConn was a natural one for Jakubowski. UConn was always a part of his life, including family trips to campus while growing up.

"UConn was my only choice. My mother went here and UConn basketball is very big in our house. Also, I wanted to go out on my own, but stay in state," Jakubowski explains.

At UConn, he joined The Daily Campus as a newswriter during his freshman year. In his sophomore year, Jakubowski shifted gears. He joined the editorial board and wrote a column in the editorial section. For the past two summers, he also has worked at the The Hartford Courant.

This year, he has taken on a greater amount of responsibility. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day running of the paper and the work of about 90 students, the editor-in-chief is also chair of the board of directors and writes a column every week.

He spends about 30 hours a week working on the newspaper.

At the same time Jakubowski, an honors student, is taking five classes and has been on the Dean's List for three semesters.

He says there is no such a thing as an average day. At any time, anything can happen, he says. "Some days I come in and think the day will be quiet and slow, but those are the days that something comes up I need to take care of. There is a lot of problem solving and dealing with people."

In addition to being a big responsibility, he also sees his position as editor-in-chief as a great learning experience that will help him after he graduates. He says he'd like to go into journalism or teaching, but he knows that his experience at The Daily Campus is an excellent preparation for any career.

"This job has taught me how to deal with different people and how to solve problems," he says, skills that will be useful in any situation.

Jakubowski says his term as editor, which ends at the close of the school year, will be the most memorable period in his college career.

"It is a full-time job, and it is not always easy juggling this and school," he says, "but I am here to get an education and that is my first priority. I love UConn and I love The Daily Campus."

Eileen Labenski