Editor’s Note: These stories originally appeared in Volume 1 Issue 1 of the Herald, published on Jan. 29, 2025.
Newspaper New Venture of Students
Students, faculty express selves in favor of journalistic venture at chapel meeting Jan. 28
Details given by Pres.
Full Editorial staff selected; will have complete charge of editing the College Heights Herald
This newspaper was born at one of the greatest chapel exercises ever heard on College Heights, on Thursday, January 22nd, and the acclaim with which the announcement was received would have stirred the heart of every former student and filled every atom of his body with renewed vibration of school loyalty and patriotism, and upon this announcement we feel that there will be a silent and spontaneous acclaim from every alumnus which this paper reaches. It is the earnest desire of the College Heights Herald staff to receive expressions from every member of the loyal legion of former students.
The total number of editions for the year will number 23 as it is the present intention to vacate the Christmas number and the two numbers which will be due between the closing of the Summer session and the opening of the Fall Semester.
It is with natural pride that the staff announces a support of a 100 per cent bona fide paid subscription from the present student body. Within five minutes from the time that blanks were distributed after the announcement of the launching of the movement every student present had returned a slip, subscribing for one or more copies of the paper. These are all yearly subscriptions and with the addition of the subscriptions of the faculty and administration staff the total list will run the number of students and faculty on account of additional subscriptions running from one to five copies. It is also a safe assumption to announce that with the addition of some 1200 students who will enroll at the opening of the second semester, February 2nd, that our present subscription list will be doubled and by June many subscriptions from students in the field will doubtless be received. The growth in circulation is only a matter of time.
Newspaper is to be issued by students
Greatest chapel exercise ever held on College Heights since the College Foundation brings student newspaper
Will publish 23 editions
One hundred per cent subscription assures success of movement at start; 1200 new students will subscribe February
The most encouraging thing that has happened in the brief career of College Heights Herald is the favorable expressions heard in connection with the launching of the new student newspaper.
The rapidity with which the movement was confirmed following the announcement at chapel on Thursday, January 23, was probably the greatest demonstration ever seen in the College Heights Auditorium since the launching of the Foundation. The student body and faculty with one acclaim, broke out in a burst of enthusiasm following the announcement.
For several years there has been a desire upon the part of the student body to create a journal to be fostered by the College and its faculty, but President Cherry waited until conditions seemed propitious for the launching of the movement. As usual his wise deliberation was more than confirmed when he made his announcement on Thursday evening.
So many favorable comments were made by individual students that space does not permit quotation, but the universal sentiment can be summed up in a statement can be summed up in a statement to the effect that the hungry yearnings of the student body for an organ of expression and dissemination of its views and activities has finally been satisfied.
Among the expressions heard from the faculty at the time of the announcement were such gems of full approbation and prophecy as these: “A great movement has been launched for better education in Kentucky by establishing the College Heights Herald.” Another: “College Heights Herald will be one of the greatest agencies in improving the teachers in service. Much general and specific data will broad easted from the Hill.”
Also: “I think the College Heights Herald offers the greatest opportunity yet to broadcast information and inspiration for better country skills and country life – our greatest problem.” Further – “Remembering the first student paper, the “Elevator,” and its hold on the Hill, I welcome the advent of the College Heights Herald.” And again – “One very special purpose the History teacher always has in mind is to inspire students to keep up with what is going on in the world. It is just as necessary to keep up with our College world affairs or with any other phase of human endeavor. We hail the new paper with great expectancy and delight.”
And so it went on down the line. This evidences, what is perhaps the most spontaneous and whole-hearted support that has ever been accorded a movement in College affairs upon so short a notice, and augers well for the future of the paper, its readers, its supporters, its staff, and its advertisers.
President Cherry, in making his announcement and presenting the proposition to the student body, outlined briefly the purpose, plan, and activity of the paper.
“In the first place,” he said, “the paper is to be based upon the fundamental principles of unselfishness. Its purpose will be to serve the student body, the College as an institution with its Board of Regents and Administrators, the former students of the institution, the teachers of Western Kentucky and the state and its schools, and its finally the commonwealth and the country – The paper will be financed by the student body and former students, in that they will be asked to pay a heavy subscription price for the paper, together with the receipts from its advertisements. We have made the subscription price $1.00 per year.”
College Heights Herald will be produced by a full editorial staff, elected from the student body at large. Nominations were made by the student representatives from each class who make up the personnel of the newly formed student executive council. These nominations were submitted to the student body in chapel on Monday morning which elected the staff for the ensuing Semester. This staff is equal in numbers to that of an average daily newspaper, and its technique and makeup will be patterned along these lines with new added features.
The staff will work under the general direction of the Bureau of Publicity, in charge of a member of the faculty. The following students will compose the staff for the semester, beginning February 2nd: Miss Frances Richards, of the Senior class, Editor-in-Chief; Romie Marshall, of the Junior class, Associate Editor; James F. Tanner, of the Junior class, Managing Editor; Athletic Editors, B.L. Curry, of the Sophomore class, and Miss Louise McMullin, of the Freshmen class. Miss Mary Oelze, of the Sophomore class, will be Departmental and Club Editor. Jack Button, attached to the Bureau of Publicity, will be general News Editor. News Editors, Miss Katherine Adams, of the Normal group; Jordan White, of the Sophomore class, Olivia Kirby, of the Freshmen class; and Lois Francis from the Training School. Lynn Peek, of the Normal Group, is Subscription Manager and W.H. Allen, of the Freshmen group, is Advertising Manager.
This staff started to function on Monday, January 26th.
This piece is number 2/100 of Herald 100, a project to celebrate a century of the College Heights Herald. To see more from this project, click here.
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