By Andrea Rausch White
Class of 1990, editor of the Lasso 1989-1990

I feel certain that had I not chosen a career in medicine, I would have, instead, pursued a path in freelance journalism or a PhD in English.  Without question, Mike Hoover influenced my continuing love of written communication.  His instruction and guidance at The Lasso taught me to respect the importance of free speech, and he inculcated in the staff a sense of journalistic accountability by insisting that we distinguish between objective data and subjective opinion.  Although Mr. Hoover stipulated quality writing and quality production, getting each edition to print always proved to be exhilarating, fun and gratifying.  I remember many evenings working with Mr. Hoover and the staff down in the print shop -- type-setting, editing, and re-editing to the tunes of classic rock, the enjoyment punctuated by an occasional razor cut when laying out articles for each page before the photo shoot.  My experience editing The Lasso would not have been as meaningful without Mr. Hoover’s affable leadership -- leadership that turned The Lasso into an award-winning high school paper and a vividly memorable experience for me.