35 years of telling the college’s stories
By Stephen Cook
The first issue of the Campus Ledger was printed on Oct. 20, 1978. Thirty-five years later, readers still pick up copies to find out what is happening around campus and in the community.
“A publication like the Ledger is really invaluable in terms of keeping the powers that be at the college honest, and I wasn’t particularly convinced that they always were,” said T.J. Hafer, the arts and entertainment editor during the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters. “On the positive side, I think we did a lot in terms of helping the visibility of certain clubs, helping people find their way to communities on campus that supported their interests.”
After Hafer’s year on staff at the Ledger, he pursued a career in journalism, ultimately becoming a contributor to PC Gamer.
“My time at the Ledger made my career. The awards I won for video game reviews were a big part of getting picked up at PC Gamer,” Hafer said. “No matter how far I go as a journalist, it all began with the Ledger.”
Greg Harrell, professor, was the adviser of the Ledger from 1994 to 2001. He has seen coverage broaden, encompassing more topics than just matters on campus.
“I think we’re finding with all the issues in our world today more of a ‘how does this affect students’, what is their input on this, how do they think,” Harrell said. “It’s a lot more depth from a student standpoint than perhaps there was in those days.”
Before desktop publishing programs, assembling the paper was much different than today, according to Harrell.
“I remember the early days,” Harrell said. “We would have production night; we would be here ‘til 2 or 3 in the morning, pasting up the copies and taking them on huge storyboard-type deals down to the Olathe news to get printed.”
When digital formatting came along, Harrell said it improved the process from where it was. During his time at the college, Harrell has seen technology become implemented in the lives of students.
“Our first computer was a little Centris 610,” Harrell said. “It was a dandy little computer, but nothing like we have now.”
Linda Friedel, managing editor for the Campus Ledger in the mid-2000s, saw the paper evolve beyond print media during her time on staff.
“We were the first writers to launch the online version of The Campus Ledger,” Friedel said. “Actually, it was a pretty exciting time to be a part of that.”
During this same period, the newspaper also impacted the college, affecting areas beyond the campus community, according to Friedel. Miguel Morales’ sexual harassment story on Charles Carlsen, the college president at the time, resulted in Carlsen stepping down as president.
“The Carlsen story created a stir at JCCC, in Kansas City and across the nation,” Friedel said. “It brought to light the whole sexual harassment issue in the workforce. It was ironic because at the time JCCC offered tons and tons of employee training and workshops on employee harassment and how it was not tolerated. Then the president of the college was accused of sexual misconduct with a female employee.”
In addition, stories during Friedel’s time at the college included issues such as gun control, which were published after the shooting at Virginia Tech. Diversity was also a topic that received attention.
“There was a big push for more diversity at the college among administrators, staff and students,” Friedel said. “There was a relatively large influx of international students attending the college at the time, too.”
Friedel noted that during this era there was “a spirit of campus involvement” at the college.
Looking back on his time at the Ledger, Hafer said his favorite part about being on staff was the people.
“I met some of my favorite human beings on the planet Earth in that newsroom, and we still keep in touch,” Hafer said. “What the Ledger did for my career, I can’t put a price on. But even if you strip all of that away, it was worth every minute for the friendships I developed that will probably last my entire life.”
Contact Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.