President Robert Kelly has appointed two editors-in-chief (EIC) to lead The Beacon for the 2025-26 academic year. Current Living editor Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis — who graduates in December — will serve as EIC for the fall semester. Maggie Dapp, who is the current sports editor, will take over as EIC in spring 2026.
Kelly’s appointment was based on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Student Media, a panel of UP faculty, staff and one student, who interviewed Kuroiwa-Lewis and Dapp earlier this year.
Kuroiwa-Lewis’s first act as the incoming EIC was to appoint Dapp as news and managing editor for the fall semester. Until she takes over in January, Dapp will act as second in command to Kuroiwa-Lewis, manage Beacon staff and lead the paper’s news coverage.
While single-semester EICs are atypical, Assistant Director for Student Media and Beacon adviser Nancy Copic is confident Kuroiwa-Lewis and Dapp will make an effective team.
“One thing I think that's really helpful about this arrangement is that they're already used to working closely together, and they have an excellent relationship,” Copic said. “They both have a passion for The Beacon, and I think they both are good at mentoring other students, which is really an important part of being editor-in-chief. I also think that they will provide a good example of teamwork to the other staffers.”
Kuroiwa-Lewis started as a reporter on The Beacon, working her way up to Living editor after two years on The Beacon and now EIC. Outside the newspaper, she is a highly involved English major, a member of the English Honor Society and has served as a senior editor on Writers Mag, UP’s literary magazine, since fall 2024.
As EIC, Kuroiwa-Lewis hopes to boost community engagement with The Beacon, especially by developing stronger relationships across the UP community, from clubs to faculty and staff.
However, her top priority is building up Beacon staff and setting up Dapp for success.
“In addition to [boosting engagement], I just want to set up the staff to be strong for Maggie, who will become the next EIC, and then thereafter, too,” Kuroiwa-Lewis said. “So, for me, recruitment is really important.”
Looking toward their collaboration in the fall, Kuroiwa-Lewis expresses excitement about working more closely with Dapp.
“I care a lot about her as a person, a student, a friend, a peer, a coworker,” Kuroiwa-Lewis said. “I'm just super excited to be able to work with her.”
Dapp, a political science major, joined The Beacon as a sports reporter in spring 2023 and was promoted to sports editor the following semester. Since then, she has written stories on famous Pilot alums to changes in NCAA policies.
Dapp will return to campus this fall with a summer journalism internship under her belt and is excited to bring her experience back to The Beacon newsroom before transitioning to EIC.
From there, she hopes to build on the foundation Kuroiwa-Lewis sets in the fall by supporting and mentoring her staff.
“I'm really looking forward to supporting people and being a resource and creating a really welcoming environment for people,” Dapp said. “I think my bigger goals will be maintaining education and making sure that skills are sharp and that we're getting better past that initial boot camp [summer training] period.”
Dapp also anticipates supporting Kurowia-Lewis as news and managing editor will be a rewarding experience.
“I'm just looking forward to supporting each other,” Dapp said. “Like I love her, and she's going to be such a good editor-in-chief.”
As the baton is passed from Kuroiwa-Lewis to Dapp, current Beacon EIC Kimberly Cortez wants to remind the two of the strength and effort required to effectively thrive in the demanding position. However, Cortez believes both are ready to take up the mantle.
“I think my biggest piece of advice for both of them is to stay strong,” Cortez said. “It's a lot of work, and it's not easy, but I know that they're both capable of doing it. I have known Camille and Maggie as reporters and as editors, and seeing their growth has been incredible, and that has demonstrated that they're ready to take on this role.”
Riley Martinez is the Copy & Opinions editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at martinri24@up.edu.
