If you’re looking to get a read on what campus conversations are taking place, there’s still a good starting point: the school newspaper. Though campus-based blogs and other forms of new media may be taking the shine of the campus paper’s hegemony in shaping collegiate discussions, there’s still value in seeing what editors, columnists and guest commentators are writing about the election, with only 18 days to go until many of these folks cast a Presidential ballot for the first time.
We read around for some interesting and notable bits of recent vintage, including…
One of the more notable pieces in recent memory comes from the Columbia Missourian, where Attorney General Jay Nixon’s son, Jer Nixon was cast into a bit of hot water, when the Mizzou daily profiled his moonlighting as a humor-laced hip-hop artist. The story, “Nixon’s son balances rap, politics,” (http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/09/29/jer-nixon-rap-star/) detailed the 19-year-old’s hip-hop career, which dates back to his high school days in the group B.A.L.L.S. The piece – accompanied by a photo of the young Nixon in a conservative shirt-and-tie combo – gave his dad’s gubernatorial campaign a few days of unwanted publicity, but seems to have generally cooled over since first running on September 29.
Perhaps it’s that kind of story that is part of the trend of negativity seen by Kelly Kendall, a junior journalism major and lifestyle editor at the Webster University Journal. The suburban campus’ weekly gives voice to her opinion piece, “Quit focusing on the negative and make something good happen.” (http://media.www.webujournal.com/media/storage/paper245/news/2008/10/09/Opinioneditorial/Quit-Focusing.On.The.Negative.And.Make.Something.Good.Happen-3482460.shtml) In it, she points to several on-campus events of an uplifting nature and suggests that a spirit of activism is in play at the leafy school. The same paper gives voice to Christian Losciale who argues that the VP debate’s “Protestor cage made a mockery of free speech.” (http://media.www.webujournal.com/media/storage/paper245/news/2008/10/09/Opinioneditorial/Protester.Cage.Makes.A.Mockery.Of.Free.Speech-3482454.shtml) The piece details the security measures that kept protestors limited during the Biden vs. Palin showdown at Washington University.
With an interesting take on the health care situation in America, commentator Mikey Taylor, of Central Missouri State’s wonderfully-named The Muleskinner, argues that the onus falls on the individual. In his take, “Is health care a right, privilege or responsibility,” (http://media.www.themuleskinner.com/media/storage/paper563/news/2008/10/16/Voices/Is.Healthcare.A.Right.Privilege.Or.Responsibility-3491225.shtml) Taylor suggests that “Health care is not a right because it does not make a person more free. Rights are to give people freedom, but nationalized health care will need to raise taxes to support the costs, and in doing so it will restrict people's freedom.”
The Southeast Missourian, the campus paper for Southeast Missouri State, looks ahead to a Monday visit by Vice President **** Cheney. Figuring that the outstate is still the best place for Republican voters to be found, Cheney is heading to Cape Girardeau despite recent heart woes. Though Cheney will be in the bootheel for a fundraiser, the article in the current Missourian suggests that no public events will be held for the ailing VP, only the private, money-raising event. (http://www.semissourian.com/article/20081016/NEWS01/810169985/1001)
On the other hand, Karl Rove will be traveling to St. Louis for a November 3 lecture at the hilltop campus of Washington University, where a $35,000 speaking fee has been arranged for the Republican kingmaker. In the piece, “Treasury approves Rove speech” (http://www.studlife.com/news/treasury_approves_rove_speech), reporter Perry Stein discusses the background of the lecture, which has students on campus talking. The event, which will take place in the campus’ historic Graham Chapel, is expected to bring in enough students to where a second viewing location may be needed, with a video stream providing Rove’s words.
The enthusiasm over the election seems to have gripped the Southwest Missouri State campus in Springfield, where the school’s paper, The Standard, reports that nearly 3,900 more students are registered for the Presidential this year, as opposed to 2004. The editorial announcing the number, “Our View: Missouri students should have impact on national results” (http://media.www.the-standard.org/media/storage/paper1059/news/2008/10/14/Opinion/Our-View.Missouri.Students.Should.Have.Impact.On.National.Results-3485174.shtml) recalls Missouri’s role as a bellwether state, saying “And obviously, that's a big deal for a state that has picked the president in every election since 1900, save for 1956, when Missouri voters thought Adlai Stevenson would be better than Dwight Eisenhower.” Editors there applaud students from across the political spectrum, as well as campus organizations for pushing the number of registered voters.
At Saint Louis University’s U News, the campus paper had an online exclusive of Sarah Palin’s speech at the Chaifetz Arena, which occurred after her VP debate across town. (http://media.www.unewsonline.com/media/storage/paper953/news/2008/10/09/News/Online.Exclusive.Palin.On.Campus.At.Chaifetz-3481539.shtml). The paper also mused on the effect of on-campus voter registration efforts, with more than 1,300 students coming onto the rolls this term. (http://media.www.unewsonline.com/media/storage/paper953/news/2008/10/09/News/Campus.Voter.Registration.Drive.Signs.Up.More.Than.1300-3480490.shtml)
Meanwhile, Palin’s opponent, Joe Biden, made a recent appearance across-state, at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO. There the Hilltop Monitor devoted a good chunk of its front page to coverage of the event (http://www.thehilltopmonitor.com/volumes/volume23/issue05/issue05.pdf), which jockeyed for space with homecoming news. One-hundred students were lottery winners of tickets for the event.
For an index of all collegiate newspaper in Missouri, you can find an index thanks to the good folks at the Missouri Press Association. (http://www.mopress.com/College_Newspapers.php) We’d also suggest that all newspaper editors in Missouri petition the powers-that-be at their campuses to make sure that their editions are available online! After all, what better way for prospective – and online journalists – to find you, than through the campus paper?