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 ’21, Kurt Vonnegut ’44, Dick Schaap ’55, Oscar Mayer ’34 and Frank Gannett 1898. More recently, The Sun has been home to Pulitzer Prize winners Eric Lichtblau ’87 of The New York Times and John Hassell ’91 of the Star Ledger of Newark. ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap ’91 was a Sun sports editor and NPR’s David Folkenflik ’91 was editor in chief. Richard Levine ’62 is current president of Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Inc.
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 and 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 Monday, 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 student-run newspaper is a multifaceted organization that only works because of its members.
Editors spend what some might consider way too much time with one another. They sacrifice sleep and studying to work 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, 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 Interim President Hunter Rawlings to the mayor of Ithaca to exclusive interviews with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 and Bill Nye ’77, “The Science Guy,” 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 athletes.
The Arts and Entertainment 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 Guide 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, our 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.
The Sun is much more than a daily 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.
Additionally, The Sun’s Blogs department covers a broad range of topics, from politics to pop culture.
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 online 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. So, ready to join? Look for recruitment details in The Sun during Orienta tion Week or email Josh Girsky at [email protected].