On Oct. 15, Indiana University Bloomington decided to cut funding for it’s print media after the head of student media, Jim Rodenbusch, was fired after a dispute with school administration about published content. This meant that their student-led newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student, would cease publishing for print. IU Bloomington has since reversed the decision and will continue to fund its print media.
As an institution with an award-winning communication department, IU’s situation has hit too close to home. It has left some of us in the Goshen College community concerned about the integrity of independent student-run newspapers. We have compiled their opinions, commentary and commitments into the article below.
Eliza Alemán – emaleman@goshen.edu
Independent journalism is proof of a thriving democracy. Therfore, any attempt to censor journalism is an attack on democracy.
I am pleased with the decision IU made to continue funding its print media. I cannot imagine the fear and anger felt by my fellow student journalists through this entire process. College is a space where students should be challenging authority that inhibits acting with integrity. I hope IU serves as inspiration for student-run newspapers across the country facing similar circumstances that may not be gaining national attention. We have the power to hold our institutions accountable.
Aaliah Higareda – ahigareda@goshen.edu
Being a graphic designer in an editorially independent student newspaper means students have full creative liberty and control over what and where the fonts, photos, body text, bylines and attributions are on the page before publishing for print with consideration of The Record’s brand identity. While The Record has its own Goshen College AP style guide to help copy editors determine the capitalization of a building, etc., there is no official branding style guide created for The Record’s design identity. It is up to the student designer’s capability and skills in InDesign to fit the story onto a page.
Charlie Aldrich – cealdrich@goshen.edu
Print is an important aspect of journalism that has, and always will be timeless. The physical tactility of gloss and texture is one that digital cannot replicate. Print is an all encompassing experience of community, self-love and presence. To consume print is to fight against the fuzz of bluelight and give back to the artistic collaboration. Print will never die but it’s the undeniable future that it’s behind in today’s evolution of journalism. It’s the reality students should be mindful of and lean into. But at this point, print should be considered as an act of rebellion, a fight against doomscrolling and AI slop. Which, fittingly enough, is sort of the point of journalism. It sounds sexier anyways.
Yasmin Acosta – yacosta@goshen.edu
Student print media is more than important. It’s necessary especially for getting information around on campus. Goshen College’s print media (The Record and Squirrel Digest) gives students a space to be heard and share their creative abilities.
Since The Record is an independent student newspaper, students aren’t being told what they can write. This allows students to hold people accountable without the administration’s control.
Also, distributing The Record to multiple buildings allows for easy communication of information among students, staff and faculty. The Record provides a way for people to stay connected to not only what’s happening on campus, but also out in the community.
Daniel James – danielje@goshen.edu
Student journalism allows students to understand not only what their administration is doing, but why they are doing it. At its best, this builds a mutual trust between the college and its students. The Record provides an opportunity for students to learn more about their school, each other and the world, while also creating a platform for intellectual disagreement and debate. I believe The Record is an excellent place for questions such as this, and I would be curious to hear from someone who does not feel the same way about student media.
Anna Groff – amgroff@goshen.edu
Last fall, I looked back when we hosted a reunion for past editors that spanned eight decades. This fall, I looked to the future when I invited my Comm 101 class to observe their first Record critique. The Record’s independent student journalism — print and online — matters to our community and will in the future. The Comm 101 students will go on to serve as courageous student editors, and will likely need to consider their print and online audiences in ways past executive editors did not. Yet, they will join a legacy of student leaders who demonstrate their deep care for the college through producing The Record that connects us to one another, shares unexpected stories, and constantly seeks the truth.
Tyson Miller – tysonlm@goshen.edu
Print media is important for students in that they use the medium to learn, but we should be wary of the idea that holding “print media” so dear will protect student journalism, or that it’s the main issue. The events at IU recently should instead make us think about censorship, and how or even if a community values reporting the news. Print media is a great tool for journalists, both students and professionals, but a love for “print media” should not be so all consuming that it prevents us from innovating, modernizing or setting realistic expectations for a career in journalism.
Becky Stoltzfus – rstoltzfus@goshen.edu
Independent student journalism is a vital part of the Goshen College mission and campus community experience. Writing skills are essential to academic excellence. Investigative interviews, managing deadlines and learning from criticism are real-world experiences. So is winning awards! GC’s student journalists inform, foster debate and make us laugh out loud. You hold each other to high ethical standards and have earned the respect and trust of our community. The US Constitution states that Congress shall pass no law abridging freedom of speech or of the press. Neither shall GC.
Igor Sapucaia – issapucaia@goshen.edu
On April 17, 2025, I got my second opinion article published by The Record. I stated that the right to use your voice to express yourself is at the foundation of a healthy democracy, a freedom that I resolutely stand for. Now, as the fall semester unfolds, I stand by those words even more firmly, especially in terms of the dangerous scandal around IU’s printed newspaper. Storytelling is so much more than structure and AP style. Journalism is democracy, a voice, an ultimate weapon of expression. I hope Goshen College never pauses our printed media outlets. There is still so much brilliance yet to come from late nights in the newsroom.
John Eash-Scott – johnre@goshen.edu
Student voices matter. Any college worth their salt supports “uplifting student voices,” and an editorially independent student publication is where those opinions are informed. The opinion page, purpose-built to express ideas, is the most clear way to uplift student voices. But, the only thing more important than sharing an opinion is informing the student body. Helpful, diverse opinions need to be informed. They need to be based in a worldview that is representative of reality. The editorial independence that The Record enjoys lets students learn about campus events and policy changes, without a corrupted lens that paints a rosier picture of the college than what is true.
Mackenzie Miller – mpmiller@goshen.edu
Since 1912 when it gained editorial independence, The Record has served as a historical record for Goshen College, an invaluable co-curricular for students in communication and beyond and a voice of the student body. Part of what makes The Record so valuable is the reputation and rapport between the students running it and the rest of the GC community. This is possible because of its accessibility as a print publication. As Isaac Sawatsky ’25, digital editor in Fall 2024, said, “If there was no print Record, there wouldn’t really be a Record.” Quality independent journalism starts on college and university campuses. As college students we have the ability and responsibility to resist the rise of the fascist policy of anti-intellectualism. I encourage you to read long articles; support print journalism; keep picking up copies of The Record. Seek out the truth as a foundation for democracy and foundation for a thriving community.
Duane Stoltzfus – dstoltzfus@goshen.edu
The Record is an essential part of my news diet. When the federal government abruptly terminates a grant or someone throws a rock through the library window or athletes compete at nationals, I count on The Record for an independent report. Among the many distinctives of journalism at Goshen College is that this is the only college I know of where the top editors personally deliver print copies across campus and take time to visit with their readers and invite story ideas. Margaret Sullivan, the longtime newspaper editor and press critic, reminds us that “the kind of journalism that we need for our democracy to function” is “journalism that is accurate, fair, mission-driven and public-spirited.” May that journalism flourish from Goshen to Washington and beyond.
