Glass brings strength, sensitivity to top post

Steve Glass doesn't drink and & doesn't smoke. And sex is definitely out. And, considering his voice, sing - ing may be a bad idea as well. So, what exactly does the Daily Pennsylvanian's new executive edi - tor do? Well, just about anything he sets his mind to. Beneath his easy-going, affable and seemingly spineless exterior, burns a fire of will and determina - tion which has propelled this Mr. Nice Guy to the newspaper's top post. "He comes across like he can be pushed around, but once he sets his mind to something nobody can push him. And I've tried," Glass' father, Jeffrey Glass. Glass, who hails from suburban Chicago -- or the "holy land" as he delutedly dubs it -- may be the ni - cest guy you ever met. In fact, Glass' only known enemy is a llama named Elvis which spat all over him while riding through the Grand Tetons a few years ago. Above all else, Glass is a man of principle. He is never at a loss for words when it comes to defending something in which he believes & strongly. And tomorrow night, as he takes the helm as executive editor, this affability and tenacity will be tested more than ever before. In addition to overseeing the & DP 's editorial and business oper - ations, Glass will also chair the & newspaper's executive board and write a bi-weekly column -- named, ironically enough, "Enemy of the People." Glass said his main goal for the upcoming year is to make the DP more reader friendly. "I want to get in touch with what readers want," he said. Glass comes to his position after three semesters of stellar reporting and a semester of editing. His re - sume also includes a short stint as mayor of his hometown Highland Park and a seat on the town's envir - onmental committee. Glass, an anthropology major, is a strong presence everywhere he goes. While in Boston, he led a & state-wide Pro-Choice demonstra - tion at the ripe age of 16. And while in Arizona, years ago, he set fire to a dude ranch. Here in the Pink Palace, you can't miss him. DP Managing Editor-Elect Scott Calvert said he is like a little kid in candy store sometimes, spreading an "infectious enthusiasm" & throughout the newsroom. Glass is also still a legend at & Highland Park High School, where he was a national standout debater, collecting over 25 debating awards. HPHS still boasts the Steve Glass rule in biology -- no lab can be over eight pages. And several current school leaders still call Glass their mentor. One even adopted his love of argyle socks. But the DP's new CEO was not always the most well-behaved kid. He used to place "For Sale" signs on the lawns of neighbors he did not like. And once he broke a toilet by trying to flush a cinammon tin down it. Although it did not go down the drain right away, true to form, & Glass perisisted until he met suc - cess. Unfortunately, success meant a clogged commode. Some of Glass' lesser known es - capades include a summer of love at Harvard Summer School, where he spent six weeks cohabitating & with a fellow female student. And an even lesser known erotic frolic on a Highland Park beach. Even when he sleeps alone, Glass has proved an endless source of entertainment. He is a notorious sleepwalker and sleeptalker. Former roommate Joon Chong recounted one evening in particular when Glass mumbled the name of a fellow hallmate and former DP staf - fer in which he was interested. "He talked about her in his & sleep . . . muttering her & name all night," the College junior said. Glass is also a real "family man." He, himself, admits his family is the most important thing in his life. "He is very involved with us as a family," said Glass' mother Michele Glass. "He keeps the family cohe - sive. He is there for everyone." "He is a great older brother," Mi - chael Glass, 16, said. "I always & looked up to him and respected & him . . .You could talk to him about everything from sex to sports to board games." Perhaps the most endearing, no, frustrating, part of Glass' personal - ity is his questioning "Are you mad at me?" Everyone who knows Glass talks of countless times he asked this patented question. Calvert, who has been friends & with Glass since their days as re - porters, said he asks it so much it is almost as if he does not mean it. "I don't think he gives a damn," Calvert said. Well, whether he cares or not, Glass has vowed to continue his sensitive ways. And why not -- this nice guy has come out on top.

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