Criterion advisor retires after 10 years, new advisors announced

At The Criterion, like all other clubs at Colorado Mesa University, there is a faculty supervisor, called an advisor, that helps the students with the club they are in. The Criterion’s current advisor, Professor Eric Sandstrom, with the mass communication department, is retiring at the end of the semester. This marks a pivotal time for the mass communication department and The Criterion. It also marks the end of an era.

At The Criterion meeting on Oct. 6, it was made public to the entire Criterion staff that Sandstrom would be leaving after the last few weeks of the fall semester. When he first signed on as an advisor for The Criterion, it was simply part of the agreement for him to begin teaching as a mass communication professor in 2007. Having worked in the newspaper business for 20 years, Sandstrom was more than happy to oblige to the extra work.

“I didn’t really know what I was in for. If you can imagine the entire staff, in those first few years, eight to ten students,” Sandstrom said about his start with The Criterion.

From that point, The Criterion has grown to the point it is at today, more than ten members and pushes out several articles a week. However, after 10 years, it is time for Sandstrom to move on to retirement.

“It is time for me to say goodbye. It has been one of the most gratifying experiences at this school,” Sandstrom said.

Staff members offered thanks for his time with The Criterion.

To fill in the position that Sandstrom left are Bob Silbernagel and Denny Herzog, two veteran reporters and editors of The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

“We are both excited about doing this, and a little apprehensive since we don’t know exactly what the advisors’ role is, but we are pretty impressed with the paper being produced now and we are excited to be involved with it,” Silbernagel said on his entrance as an advisor.

The editorial staff voiced an optimism and excitement towards working with their new advisors.

The departure of Sandstrom, while sad for some, offers the opportunity for a new era for The Criterion.

The Criterion wished the best of luck to Sandstrom and thanked him for helping the paper get to the place it is today and welcomed the new advisors to the organization.