By any standard, 100 years is a long time! Think about how much change the world, country, state of Illinois, city of Charleston, and Eastern Illinois University have undergone over the past century, and then think about this: During that substantial stretch of time, one thing that hasn't changed is the presence of a student newspaper on this campus.
In fact, the first edition of the Normal School News was published on Nov. 5, 1915, meaning the 100-year anniversary of what is now known as the Daily Eastern News is officially upon us. The university has seen three name changes, named 10 new presidents, and been the home of hundreds of thousands of students since that initial publication, but in some form the paper has remained a fixture of college life in Charleston.
During that time, countless EIU students -- be it aspiring career journalists or just kids interested in a taste of newspaper work -- have operated the DEN in just the same manner as a professional publication. It's an invaluable tool for students to learn by doing; students are responsible for each and every aspect of every day's paper.
With this format, everything's a learning experience, but the sheer volume of outstanding, award-winning student journalism turned out by DEN staffers over the years, not to mention the incredible number of successful careers that began in the DEN office, show these lessons are indeed learned and learned well.
So, you can see why 100 years of the Daily Eastern News is definitely cause for a celebration! DEN alumni will be gathering Saturday, Nov. 7, to mark the occasion, while a very special edition of the paper is planned for Thursday, Nov. 5.
If you want to know more about the DEN, make sure to watch the video above, check out this story encapsulating the experiences and benefits enjoyed by DEN staffers, and visit the newspaper's website.