Day in the Life: Daily Aztec Sports Editor

“Day in the Life” is a new feature that spotlights under-the-radar people and positions at SDSU.

Name: Edward Lewis
Position: sports editor, The Daily Aztec
Experience: three years
One Word That Describes Your Typical Day: Fun

• What is one daily occurrence on the job?
  Something always happens at San Diego State. And that's kind of the rough part about being sports editor is, it's a 24/7 job. If D.J. Gay goes out and hurts an ankle stepping into his car at 8 at night and I find out about it ... I have to report it and make sure the fans know about it.
  
  And that happens on a daily basis. There's always something happening at San Diego State that you have to report ... And that's kind of the good part and the bad part about being sports editor — there's never really time off.
  
  
• What is a common misconception about being sports editor?
  The common misconception is that it's all fun and games. I mean, it's really not. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the office and banged my head against the keyboard. Sometimes there's nothing to report ... and you have to sit here and come up with a story.
  
  
• What do you want people to think when they read The Daily Aztec sports section?
  I want them to think it is professional. It shouldn't be, 'This is a great college newspaper.' … It should just be, 'I'm reading a real newspaper.'
  
  I've never put professional sports in my section. It's always been about the Aztecs ... I've always wanted people read it and say, 'This is great,' no matter what outlet it is.
  
  
• What is the most challenging part about being sports editor?
  The most challenging part is almost the same as the best part — the people you meet. There are a lot of people who want to get in your way of things you'd like to do.
  
  To get interviews, you have to go through a ton of different red tape and talk to different people. And then the people you're getting interviews from -- even they'll try to block you from getting what you need. So I think that's the most challenging part as far as the sportswriter aspect.
  
  From the sports editor aspect, it's obviously getting pages in the paper. It's an eight-page paper usually and I want as many pages as I can get, but it's a full newspaper.
  
  
• What is the one memory you will always have from being sports editor?
  The one thing I'll always remember is the camaraderie I've had with my writers. All of my best friends in college have come from this newspaper — and not necessarily because they're sportswriters, and not necessarily because they help me and the paper. They're just good, genuine people, and I'll never forget any of them ... Some of these guys might be at my wedding.
  
  
• What is your advice to aspiring student sportswriters?
  The best advice I can give to an aspiring student sportswriter is just have heart. It's all about will and it's all about want. I started on women's soccer ... But I wanted to be good. I wanted to cover basketball. I wanted people to read my articles. I wanted to break news stories.
  
  And I think that will and that heart gave me the opportunity to do what I do now. Everybody has to ... have the ability to plod through something that they don't necessarily like doing to get to their goal. That's always the advice I give to my writers.