A dozen years of 'The Yale Herald'

By Christopher M. Burke

For 12 years, this Thursday night scene has been replayed for hundreds of Herald editors, writers, and business staffers. (Well, except for Springsteen--but I can't account for other people's poor taste in music.) And while the location has changed from a student apartment, to the Welch basement to the current cozy Herald office at 252 Park St., the final product has remained the same: the best damn newspaper on the Yale campus.

Here at the Herald, we like to push the proverbial envelope of student journalism. Instead of just reporting the news, we aim to tell you what it all means--to give you a little perspective. We're always looking for that unexplored angle or for the issue that just doesn't seem to get enough attention.

Each section of the Herald strives to bring you something different every week. Our cover stories examine every little detail of a hot student or University issue. News looks to explain what's happening in and around Yale. Sports gives you those great angles and in-depth stories about Yale athletes. Opinion is always raising hell, and Arts and Entertainment tells you what to see, listen to, watch, taste, and wear. I won't even get into what our comics pages tell you to do. And every section is done with a fresh approach that just refuses to grow old (or grow up).

Want more? Find the phone number of that cute girl from history section in our student directory. Or find your name in yesterday's Valentine's Day issue (I hope you can--that damn thing was 72 pages long!) All brought to you by The Yale Herald.

Yet the Herald is so much more than just a student newspaper. Walk into our Park Street office on any Thursday to see what I mean. Because inside, you're not going to find 20 students blankly staring at computer screens editing text, their only conversation consisting of a few grunts here and there. You'll find an excited bunch who are equal parts family and undergraduate organization.

And perhaps more than anything else, the Herald is a learning tool. Our editors, writers, graphic designers, and photographers all learn the tricks that make great professionals. I can only hope that you learn as much from reading its pages as we do from creating them.

At the tender age of 12, who knows what the Herald will do next? Time will tell, but if the first dozen years give any indication, be assured that wherever the Herald goes, it will bring with it a unique attitude and the interest of the Yale community. Once we turn 13, maybe some older publication will even ask us out on a date. (Did you hear that, New Journal?)

So for everyone who has given up their time, sleep, or seminar grade to the Herald, I thank you. For you are the ones that make our office the number one spot for in-depth journalism at Yale. And you are also the ones that make it the best place to be on a Thursday night.

Wait--I think my computer just froze.

Christopher M. Burke is editor-in-chief of The Yale Herald.

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