In the fall of 1893, the first edition of The Orange and Blue hit the racks.
Over the past 130 years, the paper now known as The Auburn Plainsman has served as Auburn University’s leading news source.
On Monday, Oct. 16, a special anniversary edition will hit the racks. The purpose of this print edition is not only to celebrate a milestone, it is to honor the legacy of delivering dependable, local news to both our campus and community -- a legacy that has been handed down to us through the years.
As the Associated Collegiate Press’ most decorated non-daily student newspaper in the country, The Plainsman upholds a tradition of excellence throughout its rich tradition that continues today.
The Plainsman’s legacy began long before our current staff joined and will be carried on long after we leave. The Plainsman does not run off of one editor, one writer or one photographer. It is a wide network of creators and journalists that all come together to make and record history.
We have designed this edition as an ode to newspapers of the past, opting for a fully black and white design.
The stories told within this paper reminisce on landmarks throughout The Plainsman's history, offer perspectives on the present, and highlight those on our campus and in our community who spur us forward to a better future.
2023 Managing Editors | Harlee Meydrech, Assistant Managing Editor; Lily Stewart, Operations Editor; Kristen Carr, Editor-in-Chief; Emily May, Social Media Manager; Tucker Massey, Content Editor
Looking to the future, our staff hopes the faithful legacy of The Plainsman never fails to inspire young journalists to be thorough, honest and ambitious inside and outside of their writing.
If new writers get stuck on a story or get lost in finding an angle, we ask them to look to the past for advice from old editors and staff.
We’ve been in those shoes – writing a terrible first story and getting discouraged that it may not come easily to us at first – but we’ve also come out the other side of the writer’s block tunnel, victorious and proud of the knowledge we’ve gained and the work we’ve accomplished.
The Plainsman has changed quite a lot over the years, from one editor-in-chief to the next, from printing weekly to publishing mostly digitally, but one thing remains the same: this organization will never stop teaching, publishing and storytelling as long as it lives on.
This publication will never stop growing and making a name for itself in everything it does. From breaking news articles to listicles to gamers, The Plainsman is the place to find out about it all.
For many of us, our time as journalists began with this organization, learning AP style and InDesign like our lives depended on it. For others, The Plainsman was a stepping stone towards success in a different field.
No matter what The Plainsman means to you, we believe that the wide network of The Plainsman family will never stop growing. Stories will never stop being written. The Plainsman will never stop being the voice of the Auburn community.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Kristen is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in business. She has been with The Plainsman since her freshman year serving as a sports writer, podcast editor and host, and most recently, operations managing editor. Carr is currently the editor in chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
Twitter: @kristencarrau
Harlee Meydrech, senior in public relations with a minor in business, is the assistant managing editor at The Auburn Plainsman.
