Former Daily editor wins Pulitzer Prize

Lisa Pollak's career as a reporter began on the second floor of the Student Publications Building at The Michigan Daily 10 summers ago.

TRACEY HARRIS/Daily

Yesterday, the hometown girl made good and Pollak's writing abilities and years spent chasing stories were recognized with a distinguished Pulitzer Prize in journalism.

Pollak, a former Daily news editor who now writes for The Baltimore Sun, received the award for her in-depth feature story about Major League Baseball umpire John Hirschbeck's struggle to cope with the loss of his son to a deadly neurological illness.

"The Pulitzer is the pinnacle of journalism - it is to say she is the best," said Rebecca Blumenstein, Pollak's former colleague and Daily editor in chief. "I remember Lisa as one of the best writers at the Daily."

The Pulitzer Prizes in journalism are awarded annually in 14 categories - Pollak received the award for feature writing. The winners are selected by a jury of distinguished journalists. This is the 81st year that the Pulitzer Prizes in journalism have been awarded.

Pollak, who graduated from the University in 1990 and worked at the Daily from 1987-1990, was unavailable for comment last night. Colleagues at The Sun said she was celebrating her accomplishment.

University alumnus Andy Mills, who worked with Pollak from 1987-1990 at the Daily, said he remembered Pollak's forte as feature writing.

"It is difficult to be a good feature writer because generally it is not prized as much," Mills said. "Writing feature stories was not that valued because everyone wanted to write administration stories.

"She has a very good ear for writing and she cares a lot about her writing," Mills added. "She worked very, very hard."

Mills said that as a student reporter, Pollak demonstrated the desire and ambition to enter the field of journalism.

"Lisa from day one was going to be a reporter," Mills said. "It was just a question of where she would end up." As a Daily reporter, Pollak covered the health issues, administration, and LSA beats. She also served as a news editor. Some of her more prominent stories at the Daily focused on racial problems that plagued the campus during the 1980s. "She was a very talented writer, but more than anyone, I remember her caring very much about the writing," said former Daily editor Martha Sevetson Rush. "She had very good ideas and was a very careful writer." Pollak's award-winning story was inspired by the infamous conflict between Hirschbeck and Baltimore Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar. Alomar spat in the umpire's face after disputing a called third strike and said Hirschbeck "had a problem" due to the death of his son. The story, "Umpire's Sons," ran in The Sun on Dec. 29, 1996. Other Daily alumni who have won Pulitzer Prizes in journalism include Anne Marie Lipinski and Dan Biddle.

04-08-97