The Ontarion
Encyclopedia
The Ontarion is an independent English-language student newspaper
published at the University of Guelph
in Guelph
, Ontario
. As of 2004, it publishes each Thursday with over 10,000 copies distributed weekly on and off campus during the fall and winter semester and bi-weekly during the summer semester.
before the University of Guelph's amalgamation in 1964.
The newspaper was intended to serve students at all three founding colleges. One early editor reported that the paper's name came from the idea that the three schools might one day become the University of Ontario. 1
Over the years the newspaper has changed reflecting the growth on campus and changes in society, as well as the individuality of each new editor and various staff.
The social club atmosphere of the 1950's lead to Ontarion editors in the 1960's to 'stir up controversy' with articles about communism and boarding houses that advertised "whites preferred." One issue in fall 1970 was confiscated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
at the printing plant because it contained a bulletin with the FLQ manifesto which was illegal under the War Measures Act
.
In the 1980s to present day, editors have varied the focus from news and intellectual discussion to letters and opinion pieces in an effort to hear all voices on campus. One of the editors in the 1990s told students: "If you don't like what we're doing with the paper, you can volunteer to help change it...It's your paper." 2
The newspaper celebrated 50 years of publishing in 2001 and is still one of the few completely autonomous student newspapers in Canada.
since long before the term was coined. Undergraduate students need no experience to join and getting involved is only a matter of contacting a member of the newspaper's staff. This is often done at Thursday volunteer meetings. The Thursday volunteer meeting is an Ontarion tradition where volunteers come out, eat pizza, listen to the editors talk about the stories they're looking to have written that week and socialize.
The Ontarion's staff is made up of two departments. The business department includes the ad designer, ad manager, office manager and business manager. The editorial staff is made up of a copy editor, layout director, photo & graphics editor, news editor, sports editor and arts & culture editor. The editorial staff reports to the editor in chief, who reports to the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors are members of the corporation who have been voted onto the board. They meet once per month to manage the behind the scenes work that keeps the Ontarion going: human resources, policy, public relations and finances.
The organization is a non-profit corporation.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published at the University of Guelph
University of Guelph
The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...
in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. As of 2004, it publishes each Thursday with over 10,000 copies distributed weekly on and off campus during the fall and winter semester and bi-weekly during the summer semester.
History
The newspaper's first edition was published on March 29, 1951. The paper served the students of the Ontario Agricultural CollegeOntario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...
before the University of Guelph's amalgamation in 1964.
The newspaper was intended to serve students at all three founding colleges. One early editor reported that the paper's name came from the idea that the three schools might one day become the University of Ontario. 1
Over the years the newspaper has changed reflecting the growth on campus and changes in society, as well as the individuality of each new editor and various staff.
The social club atmosphere of the 1950's lead to Ontarion editors in the 1960's to 'stir up controversy' with articles about communism and boarding houses that advertised "whites preferred." One issue in fall 1970 was confiscated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
at the printing plant because it contained a bulletin with the FLQ manifesto which was illegal under the War Measures Act
War Measures Act
The War Measures Act was a Canadian statute that allowed the government to assume sweeping emergency powers in the event of "war, invasion or insurrection, real or apprehended"...
.
In the 1980s to present day, editors have varied the focus from news and intellectual discussion to letters and opinion pieces in an effort to hear all voices on campus. One of the editors in the 1990s told students: "If you don't like what we're doing with the paper, you can volunteer to help change it...It's your paper." 2
The newspaper celebrated 50 years of publishing in 2001 and is still one of the few completely autonomous student newspapers in Canada.
Structure
The Ontarion is a student newspaper at a university without a journalism program. It depends on volunteer submissions and has been driven by citizen journalismCitizen journalism
Citizen journalism is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information," according to the seminal 2003 report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information...
since long before the term was coined. Undergraduate students need no experience to join and getting involved is only a matter of contacting a member of the newspaper's staff. This is often done at Thursday volunteer meetings. The Thursday volunteer meeting is an Ontarion tradition where volunteers come out, eat pizza, listen to the editors talk about the stories they're looking to have written that week and socialize.
The Ontarion's staff is made up of two departments. The business department includes the ad designer, ad manager, office manager and business manager. The editorial staff is made up of a copy editor, layout director, photo & graphics editor, news editor, sports editor and arts & culture editor. The editorial staff reports to the editor in chief, who reports to the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors are members of the corporation who have been voted onto the board. They meet once per month to manage the behind the scenes work that keeps the Ontarion going: human resources, policy, public relations and finances.
The organization is a non-profit corporation.
Current 2011-2012 masthead
- Editor in Chief: Duncan Day-Myron
- News Editor: Beth Purdon-McLellan
- Arts & Culture Editor: Tom Beedham
- Sports Editor: Sasha Odesse
- Associate Editor: Divinus C. Caesar
- Web Editor: Bakz Awan
- Photo & Graphics Editor: Marianne Pointner
- Layout Director: Julian Evans
- Advertising Designer: Jessica Avolio
- Accounts/Business: Lorrie Taylor
- Office Manager & Website Coordinator: Monique Vischschraper
- Advertising Manager: Al Ladha
- Circulation Director: Sal Moran