CCSF Reception to Honor 80 Years of Publishing
By Patrick Fitzgerald/Social Media Director
Among the oldest community college student newspapers in the nation, The Guardsman is celebrating 80 years of publishing history at City College of San Francisco.
This historic milestone will be celebrated at an event Nov. 12, on the third floor of the Rosenberg Library from 6-7:30 p.m. with special guest Joe Fitzgerald-Rodriguez, reporter for the San Francisco Examiner, providing remarks on his training as a reporter at The Guardsman. Everyone is invited to attend.
“It is certainly a milestone,” Juan Gonzales, department chair of journalism and faculty adviser of The Guardsman, said. “Over the years, The Guardsman has truly been an important source of information that chronicles campus life and creates a sense of community. Its longevity is certainly due to the passion and commitment of journalism students.”
The newspaper claims many alumni who are now locally famous journalists like Cheryl Jennings, current anchor at ABC7 News, Alex Emslie of KQED radio and Alex Mullaney, publisher of The Ingleside-Excelsior Light.
The newspaper has consistently won numerous awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges for excellence.
The Guardsman has expanded its presence from print to The Guardsman Online, mirroring the accelerating media convergence in delivering relevant news. The newspaper also has an interactive presence through Facebook and Twitter.
Recently, The Guardsman Online provided up-to-date coverage of the Oct. 13 failed kidnapping attempt that triggered an evacuation of the Rosenberg Library. Numerous times, the kidnapping story was updated as details became available, and it became the most visited story on the website.
Today, more graphics and illustrations are being introduced to break apart stories making the news more accessible. The Guardsman is continually being reassessed to better serve the campus community.
“Over the years, The Guardsman has truly been an important source of information that chronicles campus life and creates a sense of community. Its longevity is certainly due to the passion and commitment of journalism students.”
—Juan Gonzales
An exhibit “Celebrating 80 Years: City College is Still Your College” is now open on the third floor of the Rosenberg featuring The Guardsman’s historic archive. It will be the focal point of the anniversary celebration and highlights the different eras of the newspaper reflecting the cultural ethos of the time.
About the only thing that has not changed at The Guardsman is its identity as a student newspaper as the notion of The Guardsman as a journalism laboratory persists.
“It takes hard work,” Editor in Chief Calindra Revier said. “That hard work involves many skills such as an eye for layout and design, thoughtful illustrators, talented writers and copy editors with a keen sense of tracking down the truth. It takes exceptional photographers able to capture impactful moments and it takes teamwork, which believe it or not, is a skill worth cultivating these day.”
The Guardsman is characterized by a timeless element of relevance. News Editor Marco Siler-Gonzales summed up his eye for news.
“One thing I’ve learned since becoming news editor is that City College is so deeply ingrained in this city. The politics, culture and people that make up this city almost always have some kind of tie with the school,” Siler-Gonzales said. “I look for newsworthy material within these connections.”
Though the news is constantly changing, The Guardsman at 80 continues its steady pace, keeping its stride one issue at a time.
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