Hilltop News visits Suber Archives

In early September, at the behest of editor-in-chief Steven Porello, the entire staff of the “Hilltop News” visited Suber Archives and Special Collections.  Intrigued by his initial visit to the Archives in late May of this year, Steven wanted his staff to discover the history and tradition which undergirds this long standing student publication.  During their visit the students examined the first issue of the “Hilltop News” published on November 20, 1958 and learned about former staff writers and earlier publications.  Their questions were rapid fire, their interest keen and their enthusiasm palpable.  Be sure to read Leah Foster’s article chronicling this experience in the latest issue of “The Hilltop News” – www.thehilltopnews.org, vol. 2.2 . 



From left to right members of the HTN staff visiting Suber Archives were:  Alex Rodriguez, Nicole Cato, Kelly Moates, Tressea Stovall, Steven Porrello, Sarah Gordon, Angela Hutchins, Patrick Walker, Leah Foster, Jimmy Weller, Megan McDonald, Adam Carpenter.  Present but not pictured was faculty advisor, Dr. Justin Thurman.

 

The “Hill-Top News” began when an energetic group of students, surely not unlike the ones pictured above, decided on the very first day of the 1958-1959 academic year that the campus was in need of a newspaper.  With solid backing from the Student Council, President Waights G. Henry and the advisory council, work began in earnest to secure funding for the paper.  Limited funding was provided by the Student Government Association, the Women’s Athletic Association and the Student Christian Association.  The most substantial support was to come from advertising by local merchants.   Throughout the history of this publication the format has undergone numerous changes.  The most dramatic change occurred last spring when the HTN became online publication.  The staff also elected to produce one hard copy special edition each semester.   The retrospective collection is preserved here in Suber Archives.

While the “Hilltop News” is LaGrange College’s most continuously published student newspaper, it is not the first.  “The [LaGrange College] Scroll” was initially produced as a newspaper in January of 1922.  The publication declared, “This paper is designed to be a medium through which the best thought of the student body may find expression, and to serve as a bond of union between the College and former students and alumnae.”  In the fall of 1933 “The Scroll” became a literary magazine.  Our collection of this early newspaper includes a fascinating special edition providing news of LaGrange College’s centennial celebration in October of 1931 as well as interviews with alumnae.

Visit the Archives to discover for yourself the collection of rich resources which preserve the history of LaGrange College.  Generous and often unexpected donations insure that the collection continues to expand.  Displays on the main floor of Lewis Library and just outside Suber Archives on the ground floor of the Library provide a sampling of our holdings.  Let us know if we can be of assistance. 

Suber Archives and Special Collections

Frank and Laura Lewis Library

LaGrange College

LaGrange, Georgia

Hours:

Monday – Thursday, 8:30am until 5:00pm

Friday, 8:30am until 12:30pm

Contacts:

Patricia Barrett,  pbarrett@lagrange.edu

Jacqueline Hornsby,  jhornsby@lagrange.edu

706-880-8995    

**This post was authored by Jacqueline Hornsby.