NATCHEZ &045; Scott Sternberg’s college job came with more hours, more stress, and more complaints than many real jobs.

And if he considered it a job, the paycheck would be a rip-off, but he doesn’t; it’s more of a lifestyle.

&uot;A good college newspaper is just so much fun to work at, to live at,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m here from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. most nights.&uot;

The newspaper editor’s work time is broken periodically by a full load of classes, and maybe a meal.

Sternberg, a senior at LSU and a graduate of Trinity Episcopal Day School, officially started his second term as editor of The Daily Reveille this week, though he’s been back at work for nearly two weeks.

He served as the newspaper’s editor during the spring semester and will keep the job until December. He’s set to graduate in May.

&uot;I really just got addicted to this place,&uot; he said. &uot;I believe The Reveille is such a force on this campus.&uot;

Sternberg, 21, held several other positions at the newspaper before running for editor and being selected over several other candidates by a committee of university faculty and students.

Now he manages a staff of 87, including writers, designers and photographers. He has complete control over the newspaper’s content and is responsible for making sure the 14,000-circulation publication comes out five days a week.

&uot;I really like the process of getting the pages at 3 (p.m.) and turning it into a paper at 12:30 a.m.,&uot; he said. &uot;There’s this rush. You’ve got to get it done.&uot;

So far, Sternberg’s made some major changes to the newspaper including a redesign and name change &045; adding daily &045; but it’s the intangible changes he thinks will have the longest lasting impact.

&uot;It’s the attitude that we changed,&uot; he said. &uot;You come up with a vision and you get everyone else on board, and people give up their selfish attempts.

&uot;We changed the motto to ‘Your world printed daily.’ We are really trying to cover this campus better than anyone can.&uot;

Sternberg said he’s also worked hard to increase minority involvement with the newspaper and change the student body’s perception of the publication.

But it’s his leadership in the newsroom that makes him stand apart, Adviser Melissa Moore said.

&uot;He can tell people what they need to do to improve in a way that doesn’t turn them off,&uot; she said. &uot;I think he will be a newsroom manager not too far out of college. He’s a fine reporter, but I think he will move into editing and into management because he’s able to detect talent in others and work to nurture that.&uot;

The post-college plans aren’t as set in Sternberg’s mind though.

&uot;I’d like to explore my options,&uot; he said. &uot;I want to go to work for a few years, but I eventually want to go back to graduate school. I’ve thought about law school. I love school too much to just be finished with it.&uot;

He has some professional newspaper experience under his belt from an internship with The Time Picayune in New Orleans this summer. Though Sternberg likes writing sports, opinion and entertainment stories, he said he’ll probably start off in news.

Sternberg started college as a political science major before switching to business and finally mass communication. He is a 2002 graduate of Trinity.