January 1, 1918, the first publication of the Varsity News appeared on the campus of Detroit College. From the first issue to today (for almost 100 years), the Varsity News has been a very important part of campus life. It keeps students informed and connected; it offers a bridge between students and faculty activities; and it continues a tradition of providing news to the university community that may not be found any other way....
These days the library has become more of a center for learning, sharing, and community than a warehouse of books. In its early days, however, students and faculty who used the library were regarded as “customers” who checked out books in a very formal fashion. They looked up the call numbers printed on cards maintained using the Dewey Decimal System, and a technician or librarian would retrieve the books for them through a system of call boxes and “dumb waiters.” It was very formal, very procedure oriented, and very tedious for all concerned....
This first publication of the Tamarack came after 20 years of discussion about whether or not to start a college newspaper, or so the editor tells his readers in his “Salutatory” introduction (shown below). The college itself had only been around that long. And during those first 20 years Detroit College was alone, the only Catholic college in Michigan. Having its own newspaper was important not only to ensure its place among institutions of higher learning, but as an expression of pride in its knowledgeable and talented student body. And now, at long last, here it was fresh and humble....
Ninety five years ago on January 1, 1918, the first Varsity News newspaper was published. This first headline read, “Varsity News Begins Career” and offered its readers enthusiastic reports of the booming economy, new university courses, tidbits about the happenings on campus, and the usual list of advertisers. This newly release chronicle was a sign of the times, a fresh expression of news and information, and a slick example of the technological advances of the day. Before the debut of the Varsity News, however, the focus of communication for the students and faculty of Detroit College was a literary one....
A Tamarack is a type of pine tree with reddish-brown bark and blue-green needles. It’s also the name of a series of publications from the University of Detroit that appeared between 1890 and 1923. These are considered the first issues of what in 1923 would be absorbed by the Varsity Newspaper that started its publication in 1918.
We are proud to introduce you to the Tamarack, a new addition to our digitized collection. We will begin making these available every two months beginning in late September until the collection is complete....
There’s a difference between providing information and communicating with readers. The Varsity News offers that connection, that communication, and that relationship feels more like a handshake than a memo. Behind every one of the articles is a student who has stood in the shoes of each and every reader, who knows those eyes that peruse the page....
The University of Detroit Mercy Libraries / Instructional Design Studio are pleased to announce the Varsity News Collection. Spanning the student-run newspaper’s full 95 year history, this near-complete collection (over a thousand issues and counting) provides a unique perspective on the history of both the University and the metro-Detroit area. If you have a few minutes, check out the collection. But be forewarned: each issue is fascinating, filled with interesting stories that give glimpses into the lives of students and...
