Concordiensis is the student-run newspaper

Student newspaper

A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....

 of Union College

Union College

Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...

 in Schenectady, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It was founded in November 1877 and is the thirteenth oldest student newspaper in the United States and is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the city of Schenectady. The newspaper's title, meaning "of or pertaining to union," was most likely suggested by Frederic F. Chisholm '79 and has been in use since 1890. Since then, it has been informally called "the Concordy."

Founding History

The Concordiensis is the third student publication in Union College History. It was preceded by the College Spectator (1872–75) and the Union College Magazine (a literary magazine in 1875). The newspaper's first editor, Edward Payson White '79, resigned before the publication of its first issue.

Production history

Over its long history, the Concordy has gone through numerous changes in format and frequency of publication.

Format: 8 inches by 11 inches

• 1877-1889: Monthly
• 1890-1896: Bi-weekly
• Centennial Commencement Week, 1895: Daily
• 1896-1916: Weekly

Format: 4-column tabloid

• 1916-1918: Three times a week
• Sep. 1918- Jan. 1919: None, World War I
  World War I
  World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
  
  
• 1919-1927: Two times a week

Format: 6-columns wide, 17-inches high

• 1927-1928: Two times a week

Format: 5-columns wide, 15-inches high

• 1928-Feb 1942: Two times a week

Reduced Format

• 1943-End of WWII: Weekly
• Summer 1943, World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  Summer Session

Format: 4-pages

• Post-WWII: Weekly

Format: 6-8 pages, horizontal make-up

• 1948-1968: Weekly

Format: 16 pages, tabloid

• 2009-2011: Weekly

Format: 20 pages, tabloid

• 2011-present: Weekly

John Sweeney, 2006

The Concordiensis garnered national attention in April 2006 when it ran a front page story on former Republican Congressman (NY) John Sweeney's late-night appearance at a fraternity party on campus. The Concordy based its report on eyewitness testimonies from students. The students claimed Sweeney had acted openly intoxicated and behaved inappropriately, making hostile remarks towards one female about her political affiliations. Cell phone photographs also surfaced after the incident and were included in the Concordy's coverage.

Co-editors-in-chief Matt Smith and Alla Abramov made the decision to run the story based on a lack of denial from Sweeney's camp. With the help of former editor-in-chief Joanna Stern, Smith and Abramov faxed copies to local Albany newspapers. That weekend, the story was picked up by major newswires and ran across the country.

The New York Times gave the story full coverage and ran the cell phone photos that had appeared in the Concordiensis.

Delta Delta Delta, 2011

In October 2011, the Concordiensis ran several pieces concerning a campus investigation into a sorority party. Copies of one issue were stolen en masse from distribution boxes and thrown in the trash. The story was picked up by the Student Press Law Center and by College Media Matters, organizations that track national college press issues.