On September 19, 2021, Temple University’s student-run newspaper, The Temple News, celebrated its 100th birthday. In a special 100th anniversary edition of the paper, the paper’s Editor-in-Chief Lawrence Ukenye (he/him) writes in his letter from the editor that:
“We have undoubtedly fulfilled our mission to be a watchdog for the Temple University community and are fully committed to doing so for the next 100 years and beyond.”
Ukenye has had several internships in the field of political journalism at outlets such as Solitary Watch and The Daily Beast, but perhaps none of his work can compare to the work he is doing at The Temple News.
Ukenye got his start at The Temple News his freshman year as a freelancer for the features section. After exploring other student media, he ultimately found that The Temple News was the place for him because of the accepting community and their welcoming of whatever gifts a student brings to the table.
After a year of being the assistant features editor at the paper his sophomore year, Ukenye applied to apply to be editor-in-chief for this year, his junior year. He credited the pandemic with creating the opportunity for him to gain skills such as hard news reporting and taking photos and videos for his stories, as he was challenged to think outside the box.
Now, as editor-in-chief, Ukenye has had to balance his job of moving everyone back into the physical newsroom with planning events for the paper’s 100th anniversary.
“Lawrence, more than any student I’ve ever worked with, has done so much work,” said Managing Director of Student Media and The Temple News Advisor John DiCarlo, KLN ’98 ‘06 (he/him). Ukenye, he said, has risen to the occasion and has been at almost all the planning meetings for the events.
A big part of the anniversary celebration has been going back through The Temple News’ archives and seeing everything the paper has covered over time, as well as the people covering those things.
To celebrate this history, Ukenye has moderated and co-moderated two panels of Temple alumni that were involved at The Temple News. The first featured alumni from the 1960s, 70s and 80s; the second featured alumni from the 90s, 00s and 10s.
Development Associate in the Development and Alumni Relations Department Erin McGinn TFM ’14 (she/her) helped nail down speakers for the event and said both panels were a true testament to the progress The Temple News has made. Both panels discussed the importance of journalism and ethics, and each panelist had a unique perspective on the history they witnessed while students at Temple.
McGinn has been following The Temple News since she got to Temple as a student in 2010, and noted how it keeps growing each year. This, she said, speaks volumes to the efforts of the advisors and the talent that comes into the paper every year.
In addition to the panels, The Temple News also set up a table at the homecoming weekend tailgate in hopes that alumni would stop by and speak to current students. “I’m sure it sounds really cheesy but that’s one of the most special pieces of it. The networking, the bonds, people from different eras getting together,” DiCarlo said.
DiCarlo also wants current students to see that they aren’t the only ones forming these bonds. “If you had that experience, that means the people before you had that experience,” he said. “Different times, different era, but the same thread goes through.”
The Temple News will continue hosting events celebrating their centennial year through the end of the Spring 2022 semester. For more information, visit their website.
“We still have a lot to do but I think in terms of really holding the university accountable and really holding an objective lens to the truth, I think we’ve done an exceptional job at that over the past hundred years,” Ukenye said.