This week’s edition marks exactly 50 years to the day the
Globe was first distributed on campus. Since then, the Globe has been a
part of the start of countless journalists’ careers and students have
sounded off on international, national, local and Point Park-related
issues.
In researching the content for the special section in
this edition, we’ve rummaged through years of editions chronicling
everything from race tensions to fears that Point Park would merge or
close altogether.
The first edition ran with an explanation as to why the
group of students answering the need for a student voice on campus named
their publication the Globe.
These students drew their inspiration from Shakespeare’s
Globe theatre. The Globe’s stage was lit using only daylight, raised so
the audience could see it and was completely exposed on three sides to
the audience. There was nothing separating the players from its audience
and the two shared an experience rather than having a division between
observers and participants.
The idea behind the name, in essence, was that the
student publication Globe would work within and for the students of
Point Park. Much like the Globe theater’s openness, the collegiate
journalism of the Globe was and is on display for the students of Point
Park for review and critique.
Whether conscious or not, my read of the Globe’s archives
has proven that the Globe has kept that same open attitude and that
connection with its audience.
Most of the source material of our special section comes from the 1997 edition marking our 30th anniversary.
That edition had with it a commentary from the
editor-in-chief and managing editor that gave me chills: “Maybe in 20
years, permitting that the school has not been turned into a parking
lot, some editors will want to celebrate the Globe’s 50th anniversary in
much the same way we are currently celebrating its 30th.”
I assure you this much: the school hasn’t become a
parking lot. In fact, if there’s anything that Point Park lacks, it’s a
parking lot. In March we’ll celebrate the 50th anniversary with a
reunion of sorts that is open to current staffers and alumni.
Newspaper has this tendency to yellow as it grows old.
In the grand scheme of things, 50 years isn’t that long of a time, but
to a constant turnover of students, 50 years of continuity is pretty
dang impressive.
You get that feeling with how frail some of the first
editions of the Globe in our archives are – these copies are yellow,
crumbling at the edges.
If we only looked backwards, yellow and frail would be
our fate. But with each successive editor we’ve produced new editions
and reworked ourselves with students always at the forefront.
I don’t know what the next 50 years holds. Honestly, I
don’t know what the next 4 years holds, but I assure you this: we at the
Globe are looking forward always and striving to keep our stage as
large as our title implies and as intimate as its namesake.
Thanks for reading,
