We have now reached 100 years of The Cord, yet its mission remains much the same: keeping students informed about the people, events and issues shaping life on campus. To think that generations of writers and editors came before us, covering the university through some of the most significant eras in history, gives me a deep awareness of the responsibility I carry in following in the footsteps of those who came before me.
It has been a pleasure to cover the remarkable people who make up this university and to know that each story contributes to a record of the Laurier experience that can be revisited for years to come. From the evolution of varsity sports at Laurier, to the digital transformation of how we deliver our journalism, to the changing ways society understands and accepts itself, The Cord has evolved alongside its community. Yet, remarkably, many of its traditions remain: the printed pages, the name The Cord, and, above all, our identity as a student publication.
Our team has plenty planned to celebrate this milestone. We will be bringing back alumni who cemented their own legacies in the pages of The Cord, revisiting the archives and exploring the significance of different eras, stories and moments in the paper’s history. Looking back also gives us an opportunity to examine the parallels between Laurier then and Laurier now, and to understand how the issues we cover have changed, and how much they have stayed the same.
The Cord continues to be a platform for aspiring journalists looking to enter an industry built on ambition, persistence and risk-taking. Seeing the countless hours and outreach that professional writers dedicate to producing their best work, often in an industry where fair compensation and stable opportunities can be difficult to find, speaks to the kind of people who choose to pursue journalism.
But within Laurier’s network, The Cord offers something special: fair compensation, a consistent audience, an environment that welcomes journalism and exposure, and the credibility that comes with a century of operation. For students looking to take their first steps into journalism, there may never have been a better time to do so.
Finally, there is no The Cord without the community that supports it; students, alumni, staff and readers who continue to remind us why we serve our campus and why this paper continues to exist year after year.
Here’s to an exciting 100th year, and to the many more still to come.
Graphic from Laurier Archives & Special Collections: College Cord jingle written in 1926
