June 2018
Identity and community
Kaitlyn Marks
MSMU Class of 2021
Since I was a little girl, writing has composed a part of who I am. I could find inspiration everywhere, and could nurture that tiny spark into a vibrant flame capable of inspiring others, teaching, celebrating, or enacting change. From writing for websites, creating my own blog, and writing paper after paper for school, I’ve learned to appreciate the
power of words in all of their forms. Furthermore, reading influenced who I would become. When we read stories, we take on their best qualities; when we read history, we preserve our culture and learn from mistakes.
When I came to the Mount and, on a hopeful whim, applied for this position with the Emmitsburg News-Journal, I never knew just how impactful even a small town newspaper could be. By providing valuable information, history tidbits, recipes, gardening tips, political platforms, and infinitely more, many people could understand the surface-level value of
such an organization. But is it perhaps more important? The most important is the way a newspaper, especially in a small town, can weave amongst individuals a common thread, shimmering and unwavering, of community. Human beings need community. Simply put, we are nothing without other people; we need each other, and we need a strong sense of who we are as a community.
Newspapers like this one keep the traditions, values, and ideals of a small, richly historic town alive. Words are their own form of glass, trapping stories and memories onto a page long enough for us to read them, share them, and experience them all over again.
As a writer, this newspaper means so much to me. In my first year of college, this newspaper was a glimpse into the world of professional writing, even if I was only contributing to this small section of a large, diverse product. I was able to meet other girls who were interested in writing (and phenomenal at it). I learned not only from the feedback I
received on my articles, the unique articles we were tasked with writing, and from the newspaper itself, which I always try to read in its entirety; rather, I learned abundant amounts from these other writers, whose perspectives always intrigued me and styles always surprised me with their elegance. Their kindness to the new, quiet freshman writer always made me feel like a
welcome part of the team. I’ll admit, I was intimidated. Everyone around me being so talented made me feel like I couldn’t keep up, but as the feedback on my first, second, and third articles landed in my inbox, I shifted from feeling inadequate to feeling much more confident.
However, this newspaper means and is capable of so much more than providing me with a place to grow. As a reader, the newspaper -- practically bursting with information, facts and opinions -- comes to life through the power of the voices within it. Without a newspaper, even now in the age of social media, flash news, and instantly accessible stories, a
community would lose an overwhelmingly large part of its identity. With the loss of the Emmitsburg Chronicle in 1918, Emmitsburg lost a portion of its history. There are no records of war casualties from Emmitsburg. There are no insights into what life was like back then. There are no stories, memories, or more importantly, voices to be heard from within the pages. I can
share my voice with readers, and I can experience the unique voices of others. Without ever having met me, a reader of my work can peer into my soul and come away knowing, at least in part, who I am. Without ever having met the authors of recipes, opinion pieces, environmental columns, or historical recollections, I can learn who they are in addition to what they are saying.
Newspapers hold within them, especially within a town like Emmitsburg, the capability to bring people together. They encapsulate the unique nuances of a town, particularly the ones only recognizable by those who live there. Inside jokes with the newspaper staff may only make sense to citizens of the town; the picture of the old, abandoned buildings may remind residents of the
town about a time long past where things were happy or sad.
The difference between a newspaper and the more digital world of today’s news is in the details. The work, time, energy, and collective effort of so many people that collide form the newspaper itself. On the internet, news races by so quickly and in such abundance that it is impossible to form a genuine or meaningful relationship between readers and
writers. The thing is, without connection, words are just words. The people of a town know one another. They care about what is going to be said. There is a deeper, personal connection between newspaper and town. The words and stories capture the vibrancy of life within even a small town, and further, allow people to connect with one another in a way unparalleled by other
forms of written and broadcast news.
To me, this paper is so much more than a cultivation of stories, news, and history. It is a community in itself. The community is built during our Four Years at the Mount meetings, on those comfortable chairs in the Mount’s library, sharing ideas and reflecting on our past month’s work. The community stems from the stories contributed by people across
Emmitsburg, Thurmont, and Frederick County as a whole. The community belongs to the words spilling across page after page, that become more than just words; the community blooms out of stories and shared experiences of common knowledge and of hope and history. Without a newspaper, a town loses its identity. It loses that binding element that starts with the cliché landing of a newspaper on a white, chipped porch swing and ends with the satisfied flutter of paper onto a kitchen table after reading its contents. Without a newspaper, a town loses the best
and most authentic way to preserve its history: both historical events and the day-to-day history that makes us who we are. Overall, for me as a writer and a reader, the value of a newspaper is in having an opportunity to share, develop, and express who I am, while gaining the knowledge, experiences and stories of others.
Read other articles by Kaitlyn Marks
Fortunate of the forgotten
Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020
In 2018, each and every person may receive their news in a variety of different ways. You may receive your news through the television, a car radio, smartphone news apps, or perhaps even a newspaper, like you are reading right now. Although newspapers remain in existence across the world, they don’t have as big of an effect as they used to because of
the variety of different news sources to choose from. Even those who still frequently read their local Sunday papers could easily find another way to get their news if the newspaper were to suddenly fall completely out of existence. However, this wasn’t the case in Emmitsburg 100 years ago. In June 1918, the Emmitsburg Chronicle was discontinued after 40 years of print,
leaving Emmitsburg without a newspaper in the throes of World War I.
Losing a paper in this way, I imagine, was a great loss for the town of Emmitsburg. Even though a discontinuation of the sort would not be so devastating today because of the ready availability of other ways of communication, when the Chronicle went out of print, decades of important information were lost and people forgotten. Word of mouth isn’t
always the most effective way to get news across, and our memories come, go, and eventually die with us. Ink, however, makes those memories permanent.
One of those gaps in the history of Emmitsburg is the soldiers the town lost in the war. By the time that this particular article is published, I will have traveled overseas to study in Tours, France where I will remain for over a month in an attempt to improve my French language skills and take in the French culture. This is an amazing opportunity
that I am very fortunate to have, yet I wouldn’t have this amazing opportunity if it hadn’t been for those who fought for this country, many losing their lives along the way.
With the records of time lost after the discontinuation of the Chronicle, the men of Emmitsburg who lost their lives during the first world war did not get the recognition that they so rightfully deserved. Names include Frances Xavier Elder, Charles F. Gelwicks, Martin Luther Hahn, John Reading Schley, and Henry Higbee. It is rather unfortunate that
these men could not have been recognized in the local newspaper for the sake of keeping their names in history, and immortalizing the sacrifice they made for the US military.
Very little is known about the circumstances of their deaths, although they all died in France, where I will be spending the next month of my life. All that is said about Captain Henry Higbee, who was 24 at the time of his death, was that he died "somewhere in France."
These are just a few of the men who died fighting for our liberty. Because they died in France, I am able to travel there shortly to study and learn another culture in the world. This is something I am very grateful for and these men deserve some recognition for aiding in giving me, and many others, the opportunities we have today that we often take
for granted.
Thinking back to everything I ever learned in history classes, both in high school and college, much, if not all, of history, science, let alone literature, would have been forgotten if it weren’t for the written word. There is so much that is unknown about history because it was not written down. So many holes are left unfilled. We wouldn’t know
nearly as much about past empires and civilizations. Their written records open the door to understanding their entire culture, and why they fell. We learn from history every day, and our past writings helps us do that. Our recordings of philosophy, science, and mathematics are crucial to expand upon. Without writing, so much of our development would be lost. Writers are the
ones who hold history together.
For our generation, and later down the road, and for the generations after us, the written words hold many of our most important stories and the outlines of our lives. Although not everything we experience can be expressed through ink, ink keeps much longer than our memories do. To put our memories on ink and pass it to the next generation makes a big
difference, even if it is just a local news article for a local event.
This newspaper has also given me powerful insight into the community here in Emmitsburg. As someone who came from a large city in Texas, I hadn’t even seen a community paper quite like this before. It is something that a small town can benefit from much more than a large city can. It preserves the town better than anything else. A newspaper seems to be
a form of establishment for any town. There are some things that every great town has, like a post office and a library. Without these things, a town wouldn’t feel like a town. I think that a newspaper has the same effect as a post office or a library does. The archives of a town newspaper show the growth and development of the town (check out the 100 Years Ago column for
proof!). The growth and downfalls are a part of each and every developing city, and it is important for the citizens to know of it.
Although many years were lost when the Chronicle was discontinued, it still had a great effect on the town. For example, this newspaper, the Emmitsburg News-Journal would not be the same had the Emmitsburg Chronicle never been in existence, as it is one of the newspapers that the News-Journal is modeled upon. Yes, it is unfortunate it didn’t carry on
through those years, but the paper you’re reading now could almost be thought of as the child of the Emmitsburg Chronicle, therefore, it will always have its place in Emmitsburg.
Read other articles by Morgan Rooney
Building a community with words
Shea Rowell
MSMU
Class of 2019
100 years ago, Emmitsburg’s local paper, the Emmitsburg Chronicle, went out of print. Amid the turmoil and demands of the Great War, the small country newspaper crumbled under the blow after serving the Emmitsburg community for 40 years. The newspaper article covering the Chronicle’s closing was mournful of the future of the town, as it no
longer had the little town paper that had been its “neighbor
and best friend.” The town lost the news source created by its people, for its people, and the loss was felt in the following years.
One of the things that stands out to me about the article about the closing was the personal touch the Chronicle had. Unlike the newspapers of nearby big cities, the Chronicle was edited by a true Emmitsburgian, Sterling Galt. The article states that Galt brought humor, cleverness, and enthusiasm to the little town paper and used the forum to take a
stand in favor of clean, ethical government. The
personality of the editor and the values of the town came through in the paper’s content and quality, making the paper a true mirror of Emmitsburg culture.
Another point that the writer of 100 years ago made that caught my attention, was that the loss of a small-town paper is like the loss of an involved community volunteer. The newspaper serves the community by promoting its events, informing the public about upcoming civic events such as elections and town hall meetings, and allowing its people to voice
their opinions and observations to their fellow
townspeople. The town newspaper fulfills said services often for free, and with little desire to profit beyond the costs of its operation. In essence, the town newspaper is a service to the town that a town should prize and cherish.
It is the responsibility of the town to promote its paper; both the readers and the writers must fight to keep it alive. On the writers’ side, it is imperative that the paper serves the community with integrity and high quality standards. The paper must voice the concerns of the community and celebrate its victories, be present with it in times of both
struggle and joy, and promote the values the community
cherishes. On the other side, the readers of the paper must reward such invaluable service with their loyalty and sponsorship.
In my short year as a writer for the Emmitsburg News-Journal, the Chronicle’s successor, I have learned more about the value of the small community paper than I ever thought I would need to know. I admit that besides viewing occasional online articles from my home town newspaper, I have never really valued it as I should have. In a town out of rural
Virginia, bigger papers like the Washington Post easily
overshadow my small county’s paper. I have realized, however, what a grave mistake this has been.
One thing I never knew about small newspapers is that they not only report about communities, they create communities. As a Mount student from Virginia, I had very little connection to the town of Emmitsburg before coming to school, and very little community involvement even after moving onto Mary’s mountain. The Mount sometimes feels isolated from the
outside world, as if the students and faculty there live in a bubble with a different culture than all the surrounding regions. The Emmitsburg News-Journal has connected me to the Emmitsburg community by reaching out a friendly hand, and reminding me that there are more people in this little town than my roommates and classmates. There are schools with students of all ages
having events and celebrating achievements. There are businesses opening, closing, and changing each day. There are candidates seeking office, and elected officials who want to share their goals with the town. There are churches dedicated to seeking God by a variety of means. The list goes on. Through the Mount and particularly through ENJ, I now feel like I am a part of that
community more than I otherwise would have been. I enjoy knowing what is going on in town, and taking a part in the “bridge” between town and campus life.
It has also taught me the value of the “personal touch.” I have had many edits returned to me with the criticism, “you took out the personal touch.” I hope I have since learned to keep it in! The personal touch is the voice of the writer who sounds like a person and not a machine. It is the understanding of a person who knows the people he or she is
reporting about and loves the community he or she serves. It is the humor, the content that relates to the daily lives of readers, and even the honesty of the writers about who they are and what they really think—even if the opinion will not be universally shared.
Big papers cannot afford such liberties. They serve the wider community, and therefore must adhere to a wider set of needs. Their survival depends on popularity on a grander scale, and they must pander for readers and sponsors. They cannot be simply people who care about their communities—they are too scattered to know the communities they write about. The small paper knows
you and serves your needs to the best of its ability. It combines the best quality standards with the familiarity of your “friendly neighborhood newspaper.”
When a town does not have a paper, it loses its voice. It loses the medium to draw people together from across town, and to unite them under their love for their community. It loses the informer who cares about it and who desires to bring out the community’s welfare through its very existence. It loses its access to history, dialogue, and local news.
It suffers a great loss.
Therefore, (jokes about self-promotion aside) I encourage you to support your local paper to the best of your ability. The town benefits from the service of the paper, and will not be the same without it.
Read other articles by Shea Rowell
Start the presses
Sarah Muir
MSMU Class of 2018
Thomas Jefferson, is credited to have said, “Were it left to me to decide if we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Newspapers are one of the first forms of mass communication. This country was built on newspapers and printing presses.
Today news outlets have, no doubt, spread to the corners of the internet and grown to encompass all forms of social media. We are now constantly in the know about what is happening in the world at any given moment. However, this has led to the common belief that physical newspapers are unnecessary and decidedly old fashion. This is a point of
bitterness in the evolution of publishing; that hard copy editions are no longer valued. I am a firm believer that there should always be a hard copy for reference. I know I run the risk of sounding like an old codger convinced that all technology will fail and plunge us into darkness, but as a student that has been the product of many dark screens where once was scholarly
research, it is better safe than sorry. This translates to printed newspapers. With the decline of the printed word and the movement to more digital platforms, so disappears what marks we have made on history.
One hundred years ago, in 1918, The Emmitsburg Chronicle’s presses ceased their printing and the Emmitsburg area was left without a local newspaper. This, as I am sure you can imagine, was a severe ravesty. For a long period of time an entire community was left without a source of local news, and to a greater degree, without a voice. Newspapers are important for any society.
They are a means of connecting individuals, and are a way in which a community voices the concerns and possibilities that it faces. It is a place for information and for platform where individuals can be heard.
I have said it many times before and I will say it again; I have spent the last four years involved with the Emmitsburg News-Journal. I cannot imagine a time when this newspaper would stop printing, nor do I want to. During my time as a part of the staff and had the opportunity to work with a team of writers that understand the importance of producing a quality local
newspaper. While we are small compared to other news outlets, we value our community and strive to impact it with our words. In these last four years, I have come to love everything about this paper. What is more is that I have come to an awareness of what a newspaper should be. A local paper is an integral part of the threadwork of any community; something that ties
individuals together by providing information and education. I have grown to expect more from the news I read. Newspapers should be responsible for the content they produce and I have become a consumer that is more prepared to discover which ones are more trustworthy.
However, I seem to have danced around the question of what it is that makes a quality local newspaper. There are many ways you can answer this because there are many facets to a paper: reliable reporting, high caliber writing, a staff that is devoted to the integrity of the content, and an overall acceptance of the responsibility the newspaper has to the community. It is no
secret that the Emmitsburg News-Journal prides itself on the reliability of its reporting. It strives to give to the surrounding communities thought provoking, intelligent, and informative articles that are held to a high standard of writing. I have worked closely with the people who make this paper possible, and I have yet to find a group of people more devoted to giving the
community the best paper they can than the people who are responsible for making this paper a reality.
Newspapers, as I am sure you know, are a primary source for information. National papers strive to provide their readers with the glories and catastrophes of an entire nation. Local Newspapers, on the other hand, I have found to be more intimate. They are acutely aware to where the heartstrings of a community are tied; the problems that concern them the most and the victories
that reflect well on all individuals. They are informative, and if they are any good, reliable. A community is dependent on the quality of their newspaper and I know that the surrounding community is provided a high quality paper in the Emmitsburg News-Journal. I am not just saying that because I am a part of the staff, but rather I say it because I know it to be true. It
would be impossible to work closely with this paper and not see the dedication that is placed in each edition.
All in all, a good local newspaper is a community talking to itself. In it, it has the concerns, promises, and values of the locals. It survives and lives in the hearts and minds of the individuals in the community. In working for a small newspaper like the Emmitsburg News-Journal, I have grown to respect a good newspaper when I see it, and I do not think there is one better
than this in the whole world. I search for the same reliability and intellect I have come to receive from this newspaper. I suppose all of this can be boiled down to the seven words on the front page of our newspaper, words from the immortal Edward R. Murrow that perfectly sum up what a newspaper should be, which is, “exulting the importance of ideas and information.”
Read other articles by Sarah Muir
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