Jamison Guice, Campus Carrier features editor

Kelsee Brady, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

Standout Issues Over The Years:

How it all started… 

The types of written publications have changed throughout the years at Berry. The first known publication was Boys’ Industrial School Advance, which dates back to the early 1900s. It was a bound magazine that published on a monthly basis. In 1911, the magazine became The Berry School News, which marked the first newspaper on campus. 

This newspaper was much different compared to today’s. The Campus Carrier typically averages about 12 pages each issue and contains different sections that focus on new and impactful events surrounding the campus. The Berry School News ranged from two to six pages and focused on lifestyle subjects. 

In one particular issue published on Sept. 18, 1912, The Berry School News contained sections such as editorials that provided general information regarding the paper and thanked its sponsors, school shops, campus happenings, athletics, agricultural

department and religious notes. 

According to Berry archives, the campus happenings section focused on an alumnus who visited the campus. Also, this section covers the latest events such as a commentary that the Young Men’s Christian Association that provided a very enjoyable reception to their audience. Today, the newspaper is about 16 inches tall and 11.5 inches wide. In 1912, The Berry School News measured at about 7 inches tall and 10 inches wide. It was only printed in black and white and was about the size of a piece of notebook paper.

A Historical Berry Moment… 

Martha Berry, founder of the school, died on Feb. 27, 1942. Her death was covered by the campus newspaper that was known at the time as The Mount Berry News. Printed in black and white and slightly smaller than today’s newspaper, it measured about 11 inches wide and 15 inches tall. 

The headline that crossed the front page read “Nation Honors Martha Berry.” According to Berry archives, the page included four different stories that focused on Berry’s death. The first one, “Miss Berry planned funeral,” focuses on how Berry spent her last days alive. The article explains that Berry’s health began to deteriorate, and she became mostly blind. According to the article, Berry was riding in a car on campus when she pointed to a spot beside the College Chapel and said that was where she wanted to be buried. 

Even though the college was grieving her loss, they still had to name a successor. The article said that a seventeen-year-old letter written by Berry herself was found by trustees. It was labeled, “To be read after my death,” and named an alumnus of the college to be her successor.

And Now… 

As part of the April 4, 2002 issue of the Campus Carrier, an April Fools’ section of the newspaper was included featuring headlines like “Martha Berry reincarnated for centennial” and “Winshapers go from holy rollers to hell-raisers.” The writers’ names were also changed with Chris Marr having his name spelled backwards and the writer of the Winshape article having a name that rhymes with Truett Cathy. 

Other interesting features of the paper include a manipulated picture of Martha Berry “celebrating” the school’s centennial. The school name is written as Barely College with π as the number of the edition. 

Articles included in this edition mention the national forensics tournament, the centennial celebration of the college and the selling of Chick-fil-a. This specific issue was not printed in color and had a height of 15.75 inches and a width of about 11 inches.

Looking Back Through Media Memories: 

1911 marks the year in Berry College history when a student-run campus newspaper, The Berry School News, began. Over the course of 111 volumes, the campus newspaper has evolved into what is known today as The Campus Carrier. The paper has often changed leadership, format, size and even the name in order to continue its progression into the future. For example, The Campus Carrier has only been the newspaper’s name since 2013. From 2007 to 2013, it was simply known as The Carrier. 

Even though the newspaper has changed throughout the years, it has simply adapted to the technological means prevalent during different time periods. Tech has influenced the means in which it is produced and even distributed. Student Publications Adviser Kevin Kleine began working at Berry in 1989. He said when he first began work on campus, the publication’s office contained two Macintosh computers that used floppy disks to store data. 

“Carrier was like cutting edge because they had two computers,” Kleine said. “Our department had zero, nothing. In my office, I didn’t have a computer. I had a typewriter.” 

In the late ‘80s, print publication was one of the few ways to receive news, according to Kleine. However, thanks to new technology, The Campus Carrier is now able to distribute on a variety of digital media platforms as well as in print. 

“Now, we do the physical newspaper,” Kleine said. “We do content on Fusion. So, that is both mobile delivery and desktop. We also deliver via social media on Facebook, Instagram, etcetera.” 

With an online news presence and a weekly print edition, the paper is able to inform the Berry community of important events once they happen. Regardless of form, Kleine said that the student newspaper helps inform the Berry community to the activities of the local government which includes SGA. 

“The Carrier is a watchdog, as is Viking Fusion,” Kleine said. “The student media are watchdogs of that, and you want to offer people the opportunity to participate in that public forum, in the public discourse about what’s going on here.” 

Kleine explained that no other news source in the Floyd County area reports on events at Berry from a student perspective. So, The Campus Carrier is one of the primary news outlets that focuses on campus news that is available to everyone. 

There will always be a home for news, journalists and storytelling at Berry, Kleine said. Further, he said that he believes The Campus Carrier will continue to serve the community, a place where students of any major can learn journalism and become better communicators. However, the specific media of the publication is yet to be decided by the times. 

Alumnus Ryan Smith (00C) started working at The Campus Carrier in 1997 during his sophomore year. He began working at the paper because he took a photography class with Kleine that sparked his interest in the field. Smith said the class allowed him to fall in love with film, and he was able to develop that passion first with the campus yearbook, the Cabin Log, and then the newspaper. 

“When I worked at The Campus Carrier, I started off as the assistant photo editor and then I moved on to the photo editor and then the co-editor of the paper,” Smith said. 

Smith said that, during his senior year, a sinkhole was found underneath Krannert. The newspaper’s office was located on the second floor of the building, but when cracks were found in Krannert’s walls, many offices were relocated. Since neither the internet nor social media was popular in 2000, the newspaper served as the main news resource for the Berry community on this topic and many others. 

“We had to ask some hard questions sometimes and people couldn’t give us definite answers, the administration couldn’t, but we kept everybody informed as best as we could,” Smith said. 

Smith is able to apply what he learned from the student newspaper to life after college. Now working for the Floyd Medical Center in the public relations department, his job role includes photography, video and social media. So, he said that working at the paper gave him the ability to talk to people that he normally would not. Also, it helped him with strict deadlines and understanding that there is a process that has to be followed in order to meet a goal. 

“I learned to always have my camera with me and be prepared for different situations,” Smith said. “I enjoyed taking photos before that, but if you see something and you don’t have a camera there with you then you just miss it. Taking a photo every single day not only gives you the opportunity to learn, but it teaches you to see the world differently.” 

Beginning his sophomore year, alumnus Rick Woodall (93C) joined the Campus Carrier, which at the time did not include “the” as part of the name. He joined as a staff writer and throughout his years, he was promoted to sports editor. Woodall recalls the student newspaper as being a major part of his college years. 

“It was just the best part of my college experience, getting the chance to work on the newspaper and to work with the people I worked with,” Woodall said. “They were my best friends. They were the people I spent all of my time with, for better or for worse.” 

Woodall currently serves as the director of philanthropic communications at Berry and is the editor of the Berry Magazine and Alumni Accent. His time working at the Campus Carrier provided him with mentorship and career opportunities after graduation. 

“It’s interesting we talk so much about mentoring now at Berry because I think back on my time at Berry, and Kevin was a tremendous mentor for me,” Woodall said. 

Kleine provided Woodall with the opportunity to travel to Churchill Downs, the racetrack home to the Kentucky Derby, and attend a college media conference. 

“Working at the Carrier impacted my career in every way,” Woodall said. “I had never done journalism in high school. Journalism made sense for me, but I had no experience. That’s where I learned to be a journalist.” 

After graduation, Woodall continued to pursue journalism at multiple news outlets and eventually began to pursue public relations occupations, which led him to return to Berry. His experience and time here has culminated in his current position in the advancement department.