By Alexandra Brewer | Arts & Life Intern
When the first edition of The Baylor Lariat rolled off the press in 1900, few could have imagined the journey ahead. For 125 years, the student newspaper has been more than just a publication. It’s been a place where students learn to juggle multiple roles, push themselves and grow in ways that stick long after graduation.
For generations, Lariat staffers have balanced long nights of reporting and editing with classes, part-time jobs, leadership roles and social lives. It wasn’t always easy, but alumni say it was worth it.
“I remember a lot of camaraderie,” said Baylor journalism lecturer and former Lariat and Roundup photographer Stephen Green. “We were on deadline four days a week, and we just got to spend a lot of time together.”
The photo staff, he said, was its own little world — a place where friendships were built alongside professional skills.
The workload often mirrored a professional newsroom. Staffers stayed late, putting the finishing touches on print editions or updating the website, all while preparing for exams the next morning.
“It was like, everything became professional about what I had to do now with my photography,” Green said. “I had honed my skills to a degree, but it was like, here’s some real equipment that you hadn’t been using before. Here’s some deadlines, and here’s some scenarios that are completely different from day to day.”
Green recalled his first assignment where he had to photograph someone giving a speech, all while figuring out how to use the technology provided to him.
“It was like a really dark scenario, spotlight on stage, and it was like, I got to figure out this camera,” Green said.
He said the experience gave him a real sense of what it’s like to balance responsibilities in the real world. He learned to prioritize, delegate and set limits when needed.
“I don’t remember feeling ultra-strained by my job workload,” Green said. “I think it was more like 12 hours a week, and there was enough staff to go around to where it didn’t feel like the pressure was enormous.”
Several panelists said the constant juggling helped build resilience. The newsroom’s fast pace mirrored professional environments where multitasking and teamwork are essential.
Claire St. Amant, a current adjunct professor at Baylor University, worked for The Lariat as a staff writer and city editor during the 2007-08 school year. She described her schedule as nonstop.
“I was either on the lacrosse field or in the newsroom 90% of my waking hours,” St. Amant said.
Beyond journalism, she tutored student athletes and balanced other campus responsibilities, showing how Lariat staff could handle it all. St. Amant said her secret was time blocking.
“I do one thing for one to two hours; I don’t try to do everything at once,” she said.
That habit has carried into her career as an author, podcast host and investigative journalist.
Despite the challenges, most alumni say their time in the newsroom was one of the most rewarding parts of college. Staffers formed close friendships, mentored each other through long nights and celebrated every successful issue together.
“People were learning on the job,” St. Amant said. “They were having their first bylines in The Lariat. Most of the time, that’s the first time they’ve been published.”
Faculty advisers and journalism professors have long stressed that The Lariat is more than a student paper — it’s a professional learning lab. Students are able to gain real-world experience in reporting, editing, design and leadership, while learning to balance deadlines with life outside the newsroom.
“If the faculty and staff are taking it seriously, they treat you like adults, they tell you the hard truth, they mark up the paper and they really want it to be as good as it can be, then you want it to be good too,” Green said.
Even now, former staffers see the same drive in today’s newsrooms that defined their own time at The Lariat: a commitment to truth, collaboration and growth.
“It’s by the students, for the students,” St. Amant said. “The Lariat carries through from generation to generation of Baylor students. There’s a lot of history in The Lariat, and it continues to shape the kinds of discussions people have on campus and the way you’re aware of what’s going on.”
Alumni also noted The Lariat’s role in preparing students for professional life. Green said learning photography under pressure taught him time management, problem-solving and adaptability — skills that stick long after graduation.
“The pressure and all the general skills and workflow and just being able to manage the pressure of things was really helpful for me,” he said.
Controversial stories have been part of the newspaper’s identity since day one. St. Amant recalled receiving angry emails and phone calls from campus leadership.
“You’re speaking truth to power, and they don’t usually like it,” she said. “You have to get comfortable with having difficult conversations and not making everyone happy all the time.”
The Lariat’s longevity, Green said, comes from a commitment to excellence.
“There’s always been a commitment to high standards and professional output,” he said.
Awards, recognition and alumni success motivate new staff to uphold the tradition. Even as media and technology change, The Lariat’s mission remains the same.
“It’s still serving the same purpose as it always has,” Green said. “Providing stories, news, and updates to the student body and staff.”
After 125 years, The Lariat remains a place for students to find their voice, challenge assumptions and shape their world. From civil rights activists to digital strategists, church leaders to nonprofit founders, alumni show that the most important stories are often the ones we live, not just the ones we write.
