APSU student newspaper The All State turns 85

Clarksville, TN – On November 26th, 1930, a small, four-page newspaper appeared on the Austin Peay Normal School campus. The All State, as it was known, arrived that fall to present all of the school’s news and “gossip,” and by the spring of 1931, most students eagerly awaited its weekly publication.

Eight decades later, the once small teaching college has transformed into a thriving state university, and amid all the changes, The All State continues to keep the campus community informed.

This week, the newspaper’s staff is commemorating the publication’s 85th anniversary with a special edition, designed to resemble the paper students flipped through in the early 1930s.

“The All State is the longest standing campus institution that I can find,” Jake Lowary, coordinator of student publications at APSU, said. “It’s older than Harned Hall, it’s older than the Browning Building and it’s older than any student organization. This has been the corner stone of Austin Peay’s heritage, except for the institution’s namesake, and the University has always been supportive of it.”

During its 85 year history, the newspaper has courted controversy, as when its endorsement of Michael Dukakis for president in 1988 drew several letters of criticism, while also serving the public good, such as rallying students in the 1960s to keep the state from renaming Austin Peay to North Tennessee State University. In the 1980s, The All State also championed the Student Government Association’s legislation to keep Harned Hall from being demolished.

“I think the staff comes in and they don’t really understand the magnitude of the responsibility we have,” Katelyn Clark, APSU student and The All State editor-in-chief, said. “Especially with this 85th anniversary, with us going back and looking at the changes and movements The All State has been a part of. We have so much influence and power here, and we must use it correctly. Our job is to document history. That gives us this sense of duty that we need to cover everything correctly and factually.”

Throughout the 2015-16 academic year, the newspaper’s staff will continue to commemorate the publication’s anniversary with the reprinting of old stories in current issues. The special 85th anniversary edition is now available on the APSU campus, and the newspaper is also available online at www.theallstate.org

For more information on the All State, contact Lowary at lowaryj@apsu.edu