Bowling, breakfasts and blunders: Reflections from Day by day alums

My favourite recollections contain placing The Day by day to mattress at evening. We have been in The Day by day’s outdated residence, a dilapidated shack throughout the alley from the printers who went on additional time at 11:18 p.m. There was at all times a mad rush out the door after 11 p.m. to get tales to the typesetters earlier than they went on additional time.

Ashwin Ramaswami ’21 — Chief Expertise Officer
I bear in mind working with Do to file switch protocol (FTP) right into a server to edit The Stanford Day by day WordPress web site and considering, “That is jank.” I shortly moved the code to model management underneath GitHub and have by no means regarded again!

Day by day neighborhood

Baldwin Lee ’92 — Information Options Editor and Senior Employees Author

As soon as a Day by day staffer, at all times a Day by day staffer. In 1991, whereas I used to be not writing for The Day by day as a result of I used to be a Residential Assistant, however the information editor knew I had a bike when the Oakland Hills firestorms began. I instantly mentioned sure, and drove The Day by day photographer into the fires on my outdated Yamaha Seca. Fairly silly of us, however we needed to doc what was occurring, with owners on their roofs with hoses, bushes catching blaze and hearth rising throughout. I needed to inform The Day by day photographer not less than as soon as, “Uh, don’t go away farther than 5 seconds from me once more — we’re nearly surrounded by hearth.”

One other reminiscence stands out to me. Again in 1989, after I was writing the lead article on the scholar takeover of College President Donald Kennedy’s workplace, we have been nonetheless typing on green-screen terminals and manually laying out. Late at evening as I used to be ending the lede with the editors standing behind my shoulders ready for this final piece — poof. A wisp of smoke, no extra display, article draft gone. We needed to begin over. I immediately sensed a number of editors behind me considering, “Uh, younger reporter, don’t freak out!” However we acquired that story out. We bonded throughout that stress, however I additionally bear in mind one factor I used to be by no means afraid of — that I’d get stress to see it the College’s approach when all these college students had been arrested. The editors at all times stood by me, and I felt no stress to jot down something however what we noticed. I solely later realized what a luxurious that was, and what an impartial establishment The Day by day is.  

Winston Shi ’16 — Vol. 245 Opinions Managing Editor

Shortly after commencement, I jotted down a joke article for my graduate faculty’s scholar newspaper the place I simply talked about how nice Stanford was. It was a rousing success. The undergrads have been so upset, they wouldn’t even put it within the print version. About two years later, The Day by day’s public relations group was feeling frisky and tweeted a screenshot of my article asking, “Why are you so obsessive about us?” I discussed the tweet in passing to some Day by day mates, figuring that I’d already been forgotten. However because it seems, I by no means actually left. 

Karen Springen ’83 — Editor-in-Chief

It’s not possible to choose one! Greater than any dorm, the Storke Publication Constructing was my Stanford residence. The scholar editors there gave me my first task, an article on breakaway bollards. The constructing’s merchandising machine there gave me my beverage of selection, Tab. The 1 a.m. closing instances gave me the best present, lifelong mates. All the expertise gave me my two ardour professions, journalist and journalism instructor. 

James (Jim) Madison ’53 — Vol. 123 Editor

My favourite Day by day reminiscence is the day my future spouse of 60-plus years (now deceased) organized my election as editor as a substitute of her, as a result of, as a journalism main, she most well-liked the job of managing editor. We celebrated the outcomes that night at our favourite make-out spot on campus.

Vlae Kershner ’76 — Vol. 169 Editor

A stunning one is how fondly I bear in mind a number of members of the World Warfare II courses who had labored for The Day by day and remained useful to the younglings. Usually, they have been pleasant and had higher manners than my technology of Boomers, however have been extra closed off and nursed personal hurts. They positive might maintain their liquor and celebrated the Cardinal by imbibing bloody marys at their tailgate earlier than Huge Recreation. They’re gone now, however because of The Day by day I’ve a robust impression of the Best Technology.

Lisa Williams ’87 — Photographer

As a photographer for The Day by day I used to be assigned to shoot a photograph of two enterprise faculty college students who have been coaching for the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. I handled it as some other task, and met Dave and Dan as they have been occurring a coaching trip. It seems that I ended up relationship Dan for over a 12 months, which was a spotlight of my time at Stanford.

Memorable tales

Stanley Gross ’57 — Vol. 131 Evening Editor

I interviewed Dean of College students Don Winbigler for a Day by day article and seen the ashtray on his desk. Across the rim have been the phrases: “non illegitimus carborundum,” that means “Don’t let the bastards get you down.”

Mike Vaska ’82 — Vol. 179 Co-Managing Editor

The archives say I wrote 44 articles over my two years with The Day by day. Every was an journey. From the large stage of nationwide politics — I coated a speech by then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and interviewed impartial candidate John Anderson — to why the brand new bollards on campus have been fabricated from wooden. 

However nothing in comparison with the large Storey Home hearth, which started after I noticed some smoke whereas getting my mail. Quickly the outdated wooden construction of the all-female dorm was crackling as the fireplace started to eat many years of its historical past. I talked to an editor from The Day by day and requested what to do, and so they mentioned one thing to the impact that “that is your huge break” and go cowl the story. It was an all day and into-the-evening journey. If the editors have been nervous {that a} cub reporter was lower than the duty, they by no means let on. Many hours later, after we put the paper to mattress, an enormous headline over an image of the blaze mentioned “Fireplace Guts Storey Home.” We reported that the six hearth vehicles have been delayed in responding by these new picket bollards I had beforehand written about. Whereas the editors generously ran the story with my byline, it was a group effort with different reporters contributing. The entrance web page additionally had great reporting from Fran Miller ’82 on how the ladies from Storey Home met with College President Richard Lyman and his spouse. I usually inform the younger attorneys in my workplace that my Stanford Day by day expertise taught me to suppose and write quick, nevertheless it additionally impressed me to offer the following technology the possibility to run with a undertaking, to have their very own Storey Home second — very similar to the large break The Day by day gave to me.

Invoice Freivogel ’71 — Co-Editor

I’ve so many recollections of The Day by day: Delivering papers at daybreak the morning after Kent State. A sheriff’s bus hurtling towards demonstrators close to Wilbur. The scent of tear gasoline. Editorializing that the Reserve Officers’ Coaching Corps (ROTC) ought to go away campus, even because the ROTC constructing burned. The shock when gunshots wounded two conservatives. Police raiding The Day by day picture lab resulting in a struggle for press freedom that misplaced within the Supreme Court docket however gained in Congress. Publishing “Snitches and Oppression,” a radical’s op-ed screed urging protesters to beat conservative college students — an op-ed we sadly printed however which luckily led to Day by day independence. Most of all the great mates, many nonetheless journalists and nonetheless nice mates. I’m married to one in all them.

Jon Weisman ’89 — Sports activities Editor and Senior Employees Author

Within the largest 12 months for Stanford basketball since 1942, the Cardinal surprised No. 1 Arizona at Maples throughout my first week as Sports activities Editor in 1988. Instantly, beat author Chris Fialko ’88 referred to as the workplace and mentioned, “We have now to get the entrance web page.” The information facet didn’t notice at first how huge a deal this was, however we acquired it. The sheer pleasure and power of publishing Fialko’s front-page story stays unforgettable. I nonetheless have the picture that I lifted off the flat (youngsters, ask your dad and mom) after it went to press. Wonderful evening.

Ralph Kostant ’72 — Editorial Board Member, Opinions Editor and Reporter

On Sunday evening, Nov. 15, 1970, Felicity Barringer ’72 and I helped the Band foil an try by Cal Bears to steal the Axe. We captured three raiders. Our story appeared in The Day by day on Nov. 17, 1970, entitled, “Skulkers Nab Ursi.”

Deena Weisberg ’03 — Information Editor

I bear in mind the evening of the presidential election of 2000, the place the race was referred to as after which un-called and thrown into chaos. The Day by day had really been capable of ship our reporters to cowl the story reside from Bush’s and Gore’s marketing campaign headquarters, so we have been getting as a lot up-to-the-minute information as most main media shops that evening. I used to be within the newsroom till about 2 a.m., working with our Editor in Chief to attempt to coordinate the story from our reporters and work out what to print. We had a special election web site pulled up on each pc within the newsroom, however they have been all contradicting one another, and the TV information wasn’t any higher. Lastly, we needed to admit that we wouldn’t know the consequence earlier than we needed to go to print and ended up working a extra correct story than most newspapers the following day.

Fritz Stahr ’81 — Photographer

Again in our period, we celebrated quite a lot of occasions with fireworks over Lake Lag because it had water in it most of time. I coated that one evening for The Day by day with a good quantity of trepidation about getting shot, however a few of my experiments with shutter pace and publicity — principally guide then — labored out properly and I acquired a front-page picture out of that roll that I’ve in my scrap-book to this present day! One other nice reminiscence was my picture protection of the athletic division’s need to make the “Griffins” the varsity mascot after the Trustees determined to drop the “Indians.” They discovered massive, outdated griffin statues deep within the woods across the mausoleum, moved them to a outstanding place in entrance of the athletic division, the place they stayed till round 2005. By that point, it was obvious that the mascot was going to stay the colour “Cardinal” for the foreseeable future. Clearly, they thought that will be a greater choice than the 1970’s scholar favourite: “Robber Barrons.”

Mary Kay Becker ’66 — Information Editor and Evening Editor

I bear in mind holding down the fort an The Day by day shack in Dec. 1964 to take care of contact with intrepid reporter (and future editor) Jon Roise ’67 and our good photographer, Bruce Wilcox ’67, after they went to Berkeley to cowl the Free Speech Motion demonstrations. They managed to climb to the highest of a campus constructing to get the absolute best view.

Erik Hill ’79 — Picture Editor and Photographer

Someday in Might of 1979, my senior 12 months, a request got here in to {photograph} a live performance to be carried out by violinist Mark Gottlieb and his sister Karen — underwater in deGuerre Pool. Some mixture of picture staffers Lex Passaris ’79, Jim “Spiro” Spirakis ’79, Dave Bockian ’79 and others determined I used to be the apparent selection for the task. Somebody loaned me a Nikonos digicam, I acquired a fast tutorial, and the following day discovered me swim trunks for the pool. Gottlieb, a graduate scholar, strapped on scuba gear and plunged in, as did his keyboard accompanist. They performed submerged, cables related to audio gear on the pool deck for viewers enjoyment. I acquired just a few frames, dried off, and headed to the darkroom. Because the Monty Python sketch troupe was widespread on the time, and their “Fish License” bit featured a pet named “Eric the Fish,” my picture within the Might 29, 1979 paper was credited “Day by day underwater picture by Erik ‘the fish’ Hill.” Apparent selection.

Susan Heilmann Miller ’66 — Copy Editor and Options Editor

I transferred my junior 12 months after graduating from neighborhood faculty. Since highschool, I’d been working at my native paper part-time through the faculty 12 months, full-time over the summers. My first quarter at Stanford, I did a scholar survey for an anthropology class, asking males what they considered Stanford girls and what they thought Stanford girls considered Stanford males. I turned the responses right into a four-part sequence for The Day by day that ran each day on the entrance web page. Managing editor Jim Briscoe mentioned, “Not unhealthy for a cub reporter.” I simply smiled.

Barbara Louchard (Ritz) ’70 — Assistant Editorial Web page Editor

I had the great alternative to interview and journey to the airport with the people group, Peter, Paul and Mary, after they carried out at Frost Amphitheater, donating their efficiency to the Eugene McCarthy presidential marketing campaign. Diarmuid McGuire handed me this unbelievable present. I used to be assistant editorial web page editor, and I used to be awestruck at this chance he gave to me. I had worshipped this group, as did so many, since highschool. They have been doubtless exhausted after their efficiency, however theu have been very type in direction of me. Paul was very charming and pleasant. He mentioned he would ship me outdated copies of the Village Voice. After the piece was printed, I despatched him a replica of the interview and acquired briefly discover a letter from him and the promised copies of the Village Voice.

Robert Siegel ’73 — Shopper Affairs Reporter

Within the spring of 1973, sunny afternoons introduced a sky stuffed with a deep orange haze, attributable to hundreds of vehicles touring 101. I wrote a Day by day article questioning why American automobile corporations have been resisting new environmental laws that imposed air pollution requirements on automobile emissions. In the meantime, Japanese corporations had already developed new, extra environment friendly and fewer polluting engines. Fifty years later, I nonetheless vividly bear in mind utilizing the ever-present yellow paper on massive (and guide) Smith Corona typewriters. The editors have been at all times splendidly useful.

David Georgette ’78 — Co-Sports activities Editor.

In early Feb. 1977, I used to be capable of expertise the journey of hitting the “Oregon Path” when sports activities editors Chris Baker ’77, Paul Bauman ’77 and his girlfriend invited me to accompany them on their drive to the Willamette Valley to cowl the Stanford males’s basketball group’s Friday and Saturday evening video games at Oregon and Oregon State.

Hal Hughes ’69, JD ’72 — Characteristic Author and Reporter

As a author for The Day by day, I had the great alternative to interview, report on and go to with creator Richard Armour, who wrote “It All Began With Columbus.” I additionally interviewed future astronaut Sally Trip.

Rod Koon ’74 — Reporter

I loved writing for The Day by day, particularly live performance evaluations. Probably the most memorable was a assessment of what was to be a Stephen Stills and Manassas live performance at Winterland in Oct. 1970. It will definitely became a full-blown Crosby, Stills, Nash & Younger reunion. Sadly, I solely had two rolls of movie and shot all of it early within the live performance — so I had none left when Crosby, Nash and Younger joined Stills on stage. Lesson realized: at all times pack extra movie than you suppose you’ll ever want!

These submissions have been flippantly edited for concision and readability.