Quirky or dorky: meet the Helmsman staff

But who are the people behind The Helmsman? What aretheir fears? Their ambitions and goals? Who has impacted theirlives the most?

Who cares about all that stuff?

We’re going to dish all the juicy info on your brand newHelmsman staff.

Editor in chief L. Kate Crawford is rarely seen without a haton. She just turned 21 years old, and became engaged last Friday.Kate said her most (recent) embarrassing moment (and she's got alot!) happened in a public relations class a couple of semestersago.

'I was sitting in my desk, and my pen rolled on the floor, rightin front. So I try to bend down to pick it up, and I fall over deskand all. The whole class laughed, but the professor never noticedher crawling around on the floor, desk attached.

Rick Russell, managing editor, claims to be organized (althoughyou can’t tell it by looking at his desk). Rick, 24, also hasan unusually intense fear of clowns and people in costume.

When I was 9 years old, I beat the hell out of Winnie the Pooh,Rick said. So, if you come to visit Rick, please dressappropriately.

News editor Jim Pogue is The Helmsman’s residentspeedy layout guy. Jim, a 50-year-old sophomore, spends his nightswriting headlines for tomorrow's paper, but he spends his days as acivilian employee of the U.S. Department of Defense.

“When I was in the Navy, during the Vietnam War, Jim said,I was a radio signal operator. We listened to radio signals fromRussia ... and the North Vietnamese.

In addition (and completely off the subject), Jim has playedBuffalo Bill in the musical “Annie, Get Your Gun.

Julie Satchfield, 21-year-old news editor, became engaged inMay. While she's not planning her wedding, she’s designingpages for The Helmsman or eating a rather strange concoctionpickles and ice cream.

Why?

Because I like the sour of the pickles and the sweetness of theice cream together.

Julie has also been cast in a number of plays — includingroles as a prostitute and a donkey.

Sports editor L. Jason Smith, 24, was The Helmsman’ssummer Editor in chief. While he’s admittedly moving down thecorporate ladder, Jason does come to the office squeaky clean.

“Every time I get out of the shower, I put Q-tips in myears and I walk around the house with them in my ears until I haveto leave,” Jason said. “(I) make sure I get all the waterout.”

Sports news editor Christy Wheeler, 21, is the paper’sresident (natural) redhead. Christy said her luxe locks once gother into a strange situation.

“I have this hair color that people are amazed by,”Christy said. She said she was working at Goldsmith’s when twowomen shopping asked her to leave her department and go to the hairsalon in the mall. “They wanted to take me to the salon sothey could braid my hair with fake red hair to match thecolor.”

Christy said she declined the offer.

Karen Jones, also a sports news editor, spent five weeks thissummer in London — with a short side trip.

“I was (in London) for five weeks. I went to Paris for fourdays. And on the day I left, I wrote a postcard to my mom,”Karen said, adding that the postcard would take 10 days to reachthe States. The postcard said Karen, 22, was going to Paris alone— although she was safe at home by the time the postcardreached her parents.

Arts and Entertainment Editor Johanna Edwards, 23 was once atour guide at the Memphis Zoo, but she’s not much of an animallover.

“I have this extreme aversion to hedgehogs. They’relike mutant porcupines,” said Johanna, who’s also scaredof big poodles.

No word yet on why Edwards’ fears are so diverse, althoughThe Helmsman promises to keep you posted with any newdevelopments.

Lynne Shultz, 24, has been a copy editor at The Helmsmansince Spring 2000.

Until she got a new car in June, Lynne had no car radio. Shesang to herself whenever she felt the need for music.

“My repertoire is extremely limited,” Lynne said.“I know a handful of Irish drinking songs.”

Peter Hubbard is a new copy editor for The Helmsman. Anative of East Tennessee, Peter returns to The U of M today afterfinishing up his summer job as a river guide on the Ocoee River.The real question is whether Peter can navigate through the campusconstruction zones.

Copy editor and reporter Kerry Vaughan, 21, was born the dayafter Christmas.

Kerry said her dad plays the mandolin in a bluegrass band.

“I tried to learn (the mandolin), but I didn’t haveit,” Kerry said. “I’d still like to learn.”

She admits it didn’t take long for her to give up.

“Like four hours,” she said.

Photographer Bryan Newcomb, 26, has also worked at TheHelmsman as a reporter and columnist.

When asked for an interesting tidbit about himself, Bryanasserted he had none.

When asked about his worst date, he said, “I’ve neverhad a bad date. I’m just an all-around good guy. I just liketo have fun.”

Ladies, you can reach Bryan at The Helmsman office ifyou’re interested.

Scott Hartsfield, also a photographer, turned 28 Tuesday. Scottsaid he once visited an “adult store” in Washington,D.C., where he purchased an NYPD cap and shirt.

“And a necklace,” he adds. “But it’s not oneof those typical necklaces.”

Thanks, Scott. We’ll leave that one open to theimagination.

Photographer Scott Duke, 26, is new to The Helmsman thisyear. Scott, who said he likes dance music and enjoys going toraves, said he survived Mother Nature’s wrath when he wasabout 10 years old.

“I’ve survived a tornado,” Scott said. “Theysay that it sounds like a freight train — it really does. Itsucked all the water out of the toilet and the pipes” in hishome in Missouri.

Marcus Matthews, a 21-year-old sports reporter, previouslyworked at The Helmsman as a reporter and columnist.

Marcus was the author of the weekly column Mr. Amore — andquite a few women on campus were ready to “kick him totha’ curb.”

When Marcus isn’t busy alienating the opposite sex, he isan accomplished poet.

Reporter Khara Woods, 20, is producing a cartoon strip thissemester in addition to the editorial cartoons she started inSpring 2001.

But beware of Khara outside the newsroom.

“Me and my mother,” said Khara, “we go into movietheaters — usually at the Majestic. We rant and rave and danceup and down the aisles. We pretend like we’re giving aconcert.”

Khara’s “concerts” are still free, so catch herbefore she makes it big.

Amos Maki, 26, is a bartender when he’s not reporting forThe Helmsman. Amos also has an interesting collection.

“I collect old cigarette packs, like from 50 yearsago,” Amos said. “Some say ‘Smoking is good foryou.’ That’s how old they are.”

Amos also accepts new cigarettes, if you’re willing todonate.

Reporter Laurie Coley, 23, is a new reporter for TheHelmsman. However, she’s got other career plans in theworks.

“I’m going to mortuary school,” Laurie said.“I want to be a funeral director. I want to embalm.”

Laurie said she became interested in funerals when she attendedher first at age 6.

Becca DeWitt, 21, started reporting for The Helmsman inSpring 2001. Becca said she has a penchant for falling downstairs.

“I always do it in front of boyfriends, boyfriends’parents,” Becca said. “Now that I’m married,I’m hoping to cut down on that.”

Becca is expecting her first child, a boy, on Jan. 8. Hopefully,he won’t inherit his mother’s sense of balance.

Reporter Mary K. Levie is a 26-year-old grad student born on NewYear’s Eve. Before starting at The Helmsman, she had anequally exciting job.

“I used to work at a soap factory,” Mary K. said.“We would make, bottle, label and ship out organic soapproducts.”

Mary K. said the factory, which was in Memphis, is nowclosed.

Shawn Pachucki, a 23-year-old reporter, recently became thefather of twins.

As an excited — but overworked — new dad, Shawn atleast knows he can feed the twins when they get a little older. Heattended professional chef’s school before he began at TheHelmsman.

Shawn has not yet cooked the entire staff a gourmet meal, butanything that can satisfy twin boys is good enough for us.

Thomas Sellers, 19, is a new reporter for The Helmsman.He is also an avid sports fan-so interested, in fact, thathe’ll play sports with himself.

“I’m the whole team (and) the opposite team,”Thomas said. “I pitch to myself. I steal from myself. I lovesports so much, I play them with myself.”

Thomas said when he was younger, 14 years old, he would alsoplay baseball with his baseball cards by setting them up on thecouch in the living room, which would serve as outfield.

Reporter Terie Box, 20, said her most embarrassing momentinvolves ears and goats.

“We went to a petting zoo in Silver Dollar City,” saidthe new reporter, who was 9 at the time. She was looking at thegoats and stuck her head through the bars. “My ears gotstuck.”

Terie said her family grabbed the video camera and taped herordeal while the goats tried to keep her away from their food. Ittook 30 minutes to free her from the bars.

The Helmsman staff promises to be nicer to Terie than thegoats were.

Sports reporter Amanda Dent, 27, was a news reporter at TheHelmsman during the Spring and Summer 2001 semesters. Amandaloves golf so much she’s willing to work as a waitress atRidgeway Country Club just to be near the golf course.

Matt Woo, 20, started reporting for The Helmsman inSpring 2001. He has a strange obsession with food habits.

“I hate finger foods,” Matt said, “and Idon’t know why.”

Matt said he uses a fork to eat finger foods, such as chickenwings. He also gets upset by Cheetos-fingers syndrome.

“It’s my pet peeve, you know, when people eat Cheetosand their fingers turn orange and they lick it off.” Matt saidhe’d prefer it if the offenders washed their handsinstead.

Renee Odeh, a 20-year-old new reporter, also works for thecampus radio station. The broadcast major said she works hard tokeep her pearly whites in shape.

“When I brush my teeth, I use two different toothbrushes— a regular one and an electric one,” Renee said. “Ilike the way the electric one feels, but I like the way the regularone cleans.”

General manager Candy Justice, 50, was a television columnistfor many years before taking on The Helmsman staff. Butbefore ever writing about TV, Candy once starred on Ted Mack’sAmateur Hour on CBS.

“I played the spoons in a washtub band,” Candysaid.

She has not yet showcased her talent to The Helmsmanstaff.

Bob Willis, 56, advertising manager, heads up the staff ofstudent ad salespeople.

Bob was in the Army during Vietnam, but he was sent to Korea— where there was no war going on.

Bob spent his time there playing ping-pong and drinking beer(and he’s quite accomplished at both).

Well, now that you know who we are, let us get to know you.

If you'd like to reach The Helmsman staff, you can send aletter to the editor to letters@dailyhelmsman.com. You canalso fax your letter to 678-4792.

And if you'd like to give us a call, the news desk can bereached via phone at 678-2193 or 678-4475 or via email at news@dailyhelmsman.com; the sportsdesk is at 678-2192 or via email at sports@dailyhelmsman.com; the addepartment is at 678-2191 or ads@dailyhelmsman.com; arts andentertainment at 678-4976 or at arts@dailyhelmsman.comand the editorat 678-3673 or editor@dailyhelmsman.com. Forinformation about our online edition, please contact webmaster@dailyhelmsman.com.