The Record has been under the management of students at Goshen College for 112 years. Over the course of that time, The Record has enjoyed contributions from thousands of students and many faculty members. 

The newspaper has also been led by faculty advisors each year. This homecoming weekend, current Record advisor Anna Groff organized an event that saw the return of 26 Record executive editors from eight decades. Each editor, as well as previous advisors, was given the chance to share a little bit about what The Record has meant to them. 

One of the first points brought up that night was that, despite always having a faculty advisor to guide them, The Record has never lost its editorial independence. Dan Hess, former professor of communication, said that when he was the advisor to The Record in the 60’s it felt both “exciting and even dangerous at times.” 

It was a decade of political upheaval, which was true at GC as well. Hess said, “Some of these [GC] students were the first in Indiana to produce an underground newspaper.” 

The Record didn’t start out as a newspaper, however. That format didn’t begin until 1937, and in the early years they focused a lot on senior “vital statistics.” Not too common to find an extensive list of engagements and marriages in the paper now, even though back then they published 66 engagements in one year.

From the beginning, Record editors did not look lightly upon the responsibility they held. “Student editors took seriously their role, they led their staffs well, and nurtured novice staff,” Hess said. 

Pat Lehman, faculty advisor from 1996-98, echoed these proud moments. It was immediately evident to her “how carefully [editors] had been trained in journalism and news writing.” She said, “[They were] so creative and also very compassionate and caring–qualities Goshen College students had and I know they still have.” 

Duane Stoltzfus, the most recent advisor of The Record who served for 24 years, shared his reflections on what the Record meant both as a student editor and as a faculty member. “My first room on campus was in High Park, my first home on campus was the Record newsroom,” Stoltzfus said.

He also affirmed that, despite many changes in college culture, demographics and a myriad of administrators, “editorial independence remains strong.”

Some previous student editors shared the impact that the Record has had on their careers. Everett Thomas ‘72 said that he was once in a job interview and his potential employer, having looked over his experience, said, “The only thing I respect about your resume is that you were editor of The Record at Goshen College.”

Jon Yoder ‘91 said that he considers his time at The Record to be “still one of the greatest things I have ever done.” One editor, Clarissa Gaff ‘00, even shared that she met her future husband while they were editors together at The Record. 

Susan Fisher Miller ‘79, during the panel entitled “The Record: Its History and Future,” shared that after using it as an important part of her research for writing a history of the college, she believes that “at its most fundamental, the Record archive is the most comprehensive, on the ground, eyewitness reporting on campus life and thought we have. It’s kind of a miracle.” 

Daniel James ‘24, said one important link between his work as a history major and as Record executive editor is that “we are preserving something for the future, we are telling a story that is going to be essentially immortalized.”

One common theme emphasized by both old and new generations was the importance of maintaining The Record as a physical medium. Two different alumni shared during the panel that they appreciate having something tangible to read that is delivered to them, and Isaac Sawatzky, the current digital editor, said, “Without the print Record you don’t have The Record.”

The modern era presents many challenges for the field of journalism and many feel that it may even be coming to an end. However, Stoltzfus challenged that assumption in his closing words to so many who have played a crucial role in what the Record has become, saying, “Journalism is flourishing–all will be well.”