Daily Orange alums celebrate paper’s 100th anniversary

Daily Orange alums celebrate paper’s 100th anniversarySeptember 16, 2003Sara Millersemortim@syr.edu

“The authorities believe the 1907 class will ultimately be the largest in the history of the University. This means the number may reach nine hundred to one thousand students when all the colleges have commenced.”

— from the front page of the first Daily Orange, Sept. 15, 1903.

One hundred years, 18 U.S. presidents, and 6 University Chancellors later, The Daily Orange continues its journalistic tradition as the independent student-run newspaper at Syracuse University, and one of the oldest in the country.

On Sept. 19-21, more than 150 returning DO alumni are expected on campus for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of The Daily Orange. For several months, more than 400 former staffers from the past century have reunited online to share memories and updates.

The weekend celebration organized by The Daily Orange Alumni Association (DOAA) will feature panel discussions about significant events in the paper’s history, including its path to financial independence from the University.

Saturday evening, author and retired political journalist Robert Shogan ’51 will give the keynote address at the paper’s centennial celebration at the Sheraton University Hotel.

“I think we’re all pretty much smiling from ear to ear with pride,” says Jennifer Kronstain ’92, former DO news staff writer and editorial editor and one of the organizers of the celebration. “The Daily Orange means a lot to a lot of people, and we’re glad to have a chance to celebrate this milestone.”

Shogan is a former managing editor at the paper and one of many notables in the news industry to have started off at The Daily Orange. Others include The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta; Newsday Editor Howard Schneider; former Newsweek Washington Editor Mel Elfin; Advance Publicatons Chairman and C.E.O. Samuel I. Newhouse; and Donald Newhouse, president of Advance Publications and the Newark Star-Ledger.During his career, Shogan covered seven presidential campaigns with Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times and was Page One Editor for The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Shogan now works as an adjunct professor of political science at the Center for the Study of American Government at Johns Hopkins University. Over its history, The Daily Orange has been recognized as being the first college newspaper to feature cartoons, as well as the first in the country to have a female editor, Elizabeth Donnelly in 1940.

Today, The Daily Orange continues to serve the University community as the students’ independent newspaper, with a daily circulation of 9,000 copies and a readership of 20,000. The paper is distributed free to more than 100 locations on and around the University campus and online via its Web site and e-mail service.

“Our alumni are all over the globe representing the world’s top media organizations ? Bloomberg, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, major networks on radio and television, and so on,” says Kronstain. “The fact that they started their careers at The Daily Orange is very important to those freshmen and sophomores who are wondering how to break into the business ? go do it, get experience, work for the DO. That’s how it starts.”

The DOAA, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting former editors, writers and artists of The Daily Orange, began organizing the anniversary celebration about a year ago. The association develops networking and educational opportunities for alumni of the paper and supports current editors by facilitating internship and professional opportunities.

According to Kronstain, the best part about being on the DOAA team has been the opportunity to work with the University. “Given the newspaper’s unique relationship with SU, and the fact that it doesn’t rely on the University for funding, how the DOAA would work with the University was not entirely clear. It has been a true partnership, particularly with the Office of Alumni Relations. Those of us working toward this event have been very thankful for their support.”

For more information, visit the DOAA Web site at http://alumni.dailyorange.com/.