Upon returning to campus for the fall semester, many students were shocked to discover that Lewis & Clark’s student newspaper does, in fact, still exist. This was a surprise to many, having assumed that the publication, called The Pioneer Log, had collapsed or disappeared after campus shut down in March.
When interviewed, a sizable portion of the student body, first-years and continuing students alike, had never even heard of the newspaper.
“The Pioneer Log?” Billy Baxter ’24 said. “Is that a tree?”
Other mistaken assumptions about the student newspaper included a lumber company, LC’s system for effluent testing, a math equation and a book about Lewis and Clark’s 1803-06 expedition. Most interviewees made additional comments similar to “I never would have guessed it was a newspaper.”
Zinnia Kane ’21 stated that she has only ever looked at one of the newspapers a handful of times.
“I have definitely seen papers around campus,” Kane said. “They kind of end up everywhere, but after a couple of days, they just disappear. I honestly cannot remember if I have actually read one, though. Usually, I just look at the headlines on the back page, but I only ever really read an article if I have nothing else to do before class.”
Other students echoed similar experiences, that they only browse the headlines and look at the pictures. On the opposite end of the spectrum, one student reported having read every single article in the paper. However, that student was later revealed to be a member of The Pioneer Log staff.
One evening, Felicia Franklin ’22 witnessed a large group of students working all night in the computer labs in Templeton Student Center. She wondered if it was perhaps cult activity, or even brainwashing, as every student was staring straight into their computer, their eyes glazed over. Much to Franklin’s disbelief, the students in question were actually working on designing the newspaper.
“They were there when I picked up a package after class, and then when I got dinner, and they were still there when I went to print something later that night,” Franklin said. “I never would have guessed they were working on a newspaper. I did not realize newspapers even existed anymore.”
Despite Franklin’s reports suggesting potentially concerning or even paranormal activity, numerous staff members of The Pioneer Log described the creation of the newspaper as “a fun and easy process.”
Upon reaching out to The Pioneer Log, our reporters found that the staff was excessively enthusiastic, while also very no-nonsense.
“We take journalism extremely seriously here at The Pioneer Log,” Editor-in-Chief Blakely Peters ’21 said. “We think it is absolutely essential that all students and community members stay completely informed about everything that happens both on and off-campus. If you do not know what is going on at all times, can you even call yourself a Pioneer?”
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