BY CHLOE TELLER
The history of The Summit newspaper at Stonehill College is woven into the fabric of the institution itself, reflecting the evolution of student journalism over the decades.
The Summit's roots can be traced back to the early years of Stonehill College, which was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross. As the college community grew, so did the need for a platform where students could voice their opinions, share news, and engage with campus life.
In 1965, The Summit emerged as the official student newspaper, providing a place for students to express themselves and stay informed about campus events and issues. Initially published in a traditional broadsheet format, The Summit served as communication between students, faculty, and the Stonehill community.
“The Summit was a fun way to work with all different groups of people who had one thing in common, loving the newspaper. It was a lot of fun to collaborate with all different people. The goal was to always publish something that was worth reading,” said former editor, Lindsay Briggs.
Briggs started as a Sports Editor in 2004, and from then until 2008, she dabbled in a little bit of everything. She was a Features Editor, then News Editor, then finally finished as Editor in Chief.
However, Briggs went through the unthinkable her senior year of college. She received a double lung transplant and needed to pass of the role of Editor in Chief to a fellow student.
“It was easy to pass of the role to another editor, everyone loves what they do,” Briggs said.
Although layout nights were late, long, and tiring, Briggs and her staff always made the experience enjoyable.
“We used to play music, all eat dinner together, and sometimes order a pizza. We made it fun,” Briggs said.
Kevin Spicer, now the Dean of May School of Arts and Sciences, was previously known as an editor of The Summit.
“I worked for The Summit for three years, from the fall of 1983 through the spring of 1986. If I remember correctly, I served as Features editor from the Fall of 1984 through the Fall of 1985. I became Co-Editor-in-Chief with Deborah Penta for the Spring 1986 semester. Before the fall 1986 semester, I relinquished my position to participate in Stonehill’s first study-abroad program, which consisted of a full-time internship in London, UK,” Spicer said.
While today, The Summit holds office space in the lower commons with computers that the staff works on layout night, Spicer had a different experience with layout nights.
“The editorial team worked together every layout Monday to produce the paper in a family-owned printing business in Stoughton Center. These were the days before computers. A week prior, we had to send typewritten copy to the printer, where a staff person retyped it into an early version of a word-processing machine. From this, newspaper articles on slick paper strips would be produced. When we arrived at the printer, we proceeded downstairs and found all the articles printed in single columns on slick paper strips waiting for us. A printer staff member would work with us to correct typos and type last-minute articles. As you might imagine, typos were usually present in the final product. We would then run the article strips through a waxing machine, adding wax to the back of the strips to adhere them to the master boards. In turn, we would manually assemble the paper, page by page, attempting to create evenness throughout. If careless, you could produce a newspaper with crooked headlines, etc. It was a time-consuming process that took hours. The final boards were picked up by a courier and driven to another printer. On Wednesday, the printed newspaper would be delivered to Stonehill and placed in designated spots around the campus for everyone to take and read,” Spicer said.
Throughout the years, The Summit went through various transformations to adapt to changing times and technologies. In its early years, the newspaper relied on manual typesetting and printing processes, which were very labor-intensive, that required attention to detail.
“I recall many late nights at the Stoughton printer trying to finish an edition. It was an endless process, intense but enjoyable,” Spicer said.
The advent of desktop publishing in the 1980s changed the way The Summit operated, streamlining the production process and allowing for more flexibility in layout and design. With the introduction of computers and digital editing software, the newspaper transitioned from a print-centric publication to a multimedia platform, expanding its reach and impact.
Over the decades, The Summit has covered a wide range of topics, from campus news and events to global issues and trends. Through reporting, opinion pieces, and feature stories, the newspaper has served as a place for discussion and debate.
Matt Gorman, class of 2011, discovered The Summit when taking a class with the previous advisor of The Summit.
Gorman was News Editor and finished his senior year as Editor in Chief. He says he owes his career to working with the Summit.
“I got an internship and then a job all from that connection with The Summit. You are doing your job when the paper is being talked about. There is always news to be found if you are willing to go after it,” Gorman said.
Beyond its role as a journalistic outlet, The Summit has also played a role in shaping the student experience at Stonehill College. For many aspiring journalists and writers, The Summit served as a training ground, providing hands-on experience in reporting, editing, and publishing.
Today, The Summit continues to thrive as a vibrant and dynamic part of campus life at Stonehill College.
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