Celebrating 90 years

Brian Manzullo

Before there was journalism at Central, there was ‘Life.’

The staff and students of Central Normal School, a fledgling mid-Michigan teachers college, probably never figured their humble weekly would last this long.

Were they around today, the idea that Central Normal Life would eventually provide a launchpad for thousands of reporters, photographer and editors might leave the original staff slightly slack-jawed.

But their sense of surprise would quickly become pride, as the growth of their tiny paper mirrored the rich tapestry of people and events that have shaped the face of Central and the nation.

Life alumni have spread coast to coast and continue to hit new marks. The first female publisher of the Jackson Citizen Patriot was a news editor on staff. A former editor in chief attained a job as a web producer at the Detroit Free Press just seven months after graduation.

The staff worked through shoddy typewriters and leaky ceilings in the dark, and moving from hall to hall to hall before finding its current home at 436 Moore Hall.

Life brought journalism education to the school, spawning courses and a department. Life brought journalism to life at Central.