A Night at The Sun

By SUN STAFF

Cornell has no journalism major — and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Here at The Sun, we subscribe to the philosophy that one learns best by doing. So it’s no surprise that at the nation’s oldest continuously independent college daily, we think of ourselves as the University’s journalism education. When you arrive on campus about a month from now, The Sun will also serve as your window to the world from our little corner of Ithaca, N.Y.

Every day during the academic year, about 15,000 students, parents, alumni, administrators and local residents read the print edition of The Sun; another 15,000 people visit cornellsun.com daily. And in 2015, The Sun was ranked the number one college newspaper in the United States by The Princeton Review.

The Sun was founded in 1880. Since then, we’ve built up an impressive record of hard-hitting journalism and community service, and we have given generations of Cornellians something better to pay attention to in their 10:10 a.m. classes.

We’ve also delivered the skills it takes to succeed to a lengthy roster of Amer ica’s top writers and business people, jumpstarting the careers of Sun graduates E.B. White 1921, Kurt Vonnegut ’44, Dick Schaap ’55, Oscar Mayer ’34 and Frank Gannett 1898. More recently, The Sun has been home to Pulitzer Prize winners John Hassell ’91 of the Star Ledger of Newark and Molly O’Toole ’09 of The Los Angeles Times. ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap ’91 was a Sun sports editor and NPR’s David Folkenflik ’91 was editor in chief. Former Editor in Chief Andrew Morse ’96 currently serves as president and publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and former Managing Editor Jeff Stein ’13 founded The Ithaca Voice and is currently the White House economics reporter at The Washington Post. Former Editor in Chief Marc Lacey ’87 is now the managing editor of The New York Times.

If you want to become a part of this exciting tradition — and help write the next chapter of The Sun’s history — just show up. We’ll give you the skills you need for a career in news, sports and commentary.

Once you get to campus, you’ll see The Sun Tuesday and Thursday mornings in dorms, dining halls and countless other locations — and every day online. But few realize what it actually means to “put out the paper.” Cornell’s only daily stu- dent-run newspaper is a multi-faceted organization that only works because of its members.

Editors spend what some might consider way too much time with one another, working on The Sun. But all agree on the irreplaceable role the paper has taken in their lives.

The News section — the paper’s largest — tracks and reports all campus life events and local and national issues relevant to you. Every day, the staff is talking to people around campus and conducting interviews in preparation for stories.

Where there’s news, The Sun is there covering it. From covering the ongoing Starbucks unionization conflicts and contentious Student Assembly resolutions to exclusive interviews with President Martha Pollack, the News section has full access.

The Sports section works hard each day to keep Cornell abreast of the newest developments of the sporting world both inside and outside Big Red nation. With game recaps, athlete profiles and commentary on everything, you will always find action on the back page. And don’t forget to look for the seasonal pullouts for an in-depth look at Cornell’s athletics.

The Arts and Culture section is The Sun’s cool crew.

From movie reviews to exhibits at the Johnson Museum to local bands, Arts gives us the backstage pass to all the places to be and be seen.

Hidden behind the news you will find The Sun’s Opinion and Editorial section, a center of raucous campus debate where columnists and community members sound off about local and national issues alike.

The Science section plays a vital role at Cornell, one of the most profound research institutions in the world. Science reporters stay up to date with cutting-edge findings from Cornell scientists around the world.

The Sun’s Dining department is staffed by the most opinionated foodies on campus, boldly braving the best and worst of the Ithaca dining scene and critiquing the newest eateries both on campus and off. Look out for the Dining Guide every week in Thursday’s paper.

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, which is why The Sun’s Photo department is so vital to The Sun. Our photographers go to great lengths to ensure that a story is visually represented, even if it means trekking in the rain and snow all over central New York.

Creative and always inquisitive,

There is no regular day at The Sun, but here is what typically goes into producing a daily paper.

Morning: Staffers read The Sun, go to class (maybe), work on that day’s stories. The business office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

5 p.m.: Editors arrive at The Sun’s offices at 139 W. State Street, which is a 20-minute walk down the hill from

Central Campus or a five-minute drive or bus ride. They begin to lay out and edit the paper that will appear on newsstands the following day.

7 p.m. - 10 p.m.: Editors, designers and photographers meet to discuss articles and placement of stories in the next morning’s paper. Editors read and edit articles, working with the writers for accuracy and clarity. Editors assign future stories; other editors work on editorials and last-minute stories. Photographers edit photos. Design staffers work on pages as stories are finalized.

10 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.:

Breaking news stories come in; finishing touches are made to the paper’s content and design.

11:30 p.m.: our Layout and Design department knows style like the back of their hands. When they’re not laying out pages, our designers are helping to create seasonal sports supplements or covers for special issues, like the one you’re reading now. The Sun is much more than a printed paper, though. The Sun strives every day to provide our readers with fresh and engaging content on its website. The Multimedia department works with other departments to produce videos that supplement print coverage. The creativity that the department puts into filming and editing makes the story truly come to life.

The paper goes to bed. Stories, photos and other content are webbed for the online edition. The paper is printed in Towanda, Pennsylvania, and delivered to newsstands across campus.

The Web department works behind the scenes to strengthen The Sun’s online presence and is always there to save the day if the website crashes. They develop new elements of the site, keeping The Sun on the cutting edge of digital journalism.

A New York State for-profit corporation run entirely by students, The Sun rises every morning thanks to the Business department. From selling advertisements to managing a budget, the department keeps The Sun’s brand afloat and gives students the real-world experience of running a business. And in between the blood, sweat and tears that go into daily production, we find the time to have fun and keep you all — our community of readers — curious, connected and better informed.

Look for recruitment details in The Sun during Orientation Week or email Sofia Rubinson ’24 at managing-editor@cornellsun.com.