This is our first edition of The Willistonian blog!  Anyone can comment on the articles and all of our hard work!  We are really excited to get this publication online for you.  Check out what the very first edition of the newspaper looked like.

The Willistonian is the oldest continuously published secondary school newspaper in the United States.  During the mid-19th century Williston Seminary saw several attempts to establish a campus press. Most were short-lived, succumbing to poor planning and poorer taste.

In March 1881, Williston’s literary and debate societies, Adelphi and Gamma Sigma, published the first issue of The Willistonian. The joint venture was intended to create common ground among often bitter rivals. Alas, the spirit of good feeling and cooperation lasted for exactly one issue, after which Gamma Sigma withdrew its support, over some real or imagined slight. Adelphi would continue to sponsor the paper until 1894, at which time it became an independent publication.

The paper quickly evolved into an outlet for equal measures of campus news, humor, gossip, and especially sports news, often at the expense of the outside world. (In his U.S. History term paper in the Archives, James Egelhofer ’97 observed that during the entire period of the First World War, athletics never left the front page.) The 1950s and ’60s brought a greater emphasis on student opinion, with some late-’60s issues proving spectacularly controversial. The next decades would see The Willistonian win several national awards. Now over a quarter of the way into its second century, the paper remains the principal chronicle of campus life.

As archivist Rick Teller aptly stated, “It is important for there to be some organ of campus opinion.”  He has watched the paper transform over the years from a biweekly production to the new online paper. Though the paper will still be printed at least twice a year, we hope to take advantage of newer technologies available to us. It is important to preserve the rich history and tradition of our school newspaper while also advancing. Producing the paper online will make it more accessible to parents, alumni, and anyone who uses the internet. The Willistonian is an invaluable resource that keeps the Williston community connected to the happenings both around the school and around the world. We hope you will enjoy this online newspaper and check back frequently as we update!