As part of the walk down memory lane we’ve taken this week with our “throwback” Homecoming designs, we’ve reached out to past Post editors. They’ve regaled us with old newsroom tales and memories of the biggest news on campus during their tenure. Although our ’80s throwback issue already ran, here’s a Q-and-A between current editor Pat Holmes and Laralyn Sasaki, who was editor of The Post from 1985–86.
What were some of the big stories that year/decade?
The Challenger explosion was probably the biggest story that year. Whatever the breaking news overnight, we were always the first morning daily to report it -- there were many mornings that we drove the paper to the printer as the sun rose.
How was coverage different?
We published in print, 5 weekdays. There was no Internet, no 24-hour news cycle. We literally printed, cut and pasted the pages together for the printer -- no pagination. We had the old "VDT" screens, the ancestor of today's desktops, really only word processors. And they always crashed right before you printed out your story. But we learned to rewrite on deadline, and it was always better.
How were things on campus different?
We were in Athens in the mid-'80s -- we were both "The Big Chill" and "Wall Street."
Any wild stories from the 'Old Baker' newsroom?
Just find the Quote Book, sit on a couch and transport back to the old Post Toastie days.....and I guarantee there will be Rain Today.
