Student-run, But Perhaps Not Student-read

Do Middlesex students make time to read The Anvil?

As the official newspaper of Middlesex, the Anvil is ubiquitous. Throughout the campus, everyone—from students and faculty to visiting families—can pick up a copy of the latest issue to get a taste of student reporting.

While faculty, alumni, and families of students frequently pick up issues, do students actually read the Anvil? Everyone seems to be at least aware of what it is (at least from the people that I’ve asked), but not everyone has actually picked up the habit of reading it regularly. And so, I went around campus and asked people from all grade levels to see what the answer would be.

And after several days of intensive (impromptu) research and investigation — after asking a total of 40 students (a 10% sample of the population) — data concluded that roughly ⅔ of all students read the Anvil regularly (i.e. 4-5 issues per year). It is worth noting that out of the people who answered yes to this question, the proportion of people who also wrote for the Anvil was higher than the people who answered no. Also, most people mentioned that they did not read every article in the newspaper thoroughly; they instead opted to read 2-3 articles for every issue which caught their eyes.

When asked why they did not regularly read the Anvil, there were 2 common answers. The first is that the students actually cannot find the Anvil throughout campus, contrary to what is written above — they reported that the Anvil can mostly be found in Eliot, and not other academic buildings like Clay, BAP, or the RCC. In addition, they also suggested that the Anvil be placed in other locations such as StuFac or the Athletic Center, and from the suggestion of one particular student, even in the dorms. (Although that might be a bit far-fetched…) The other reason for not reading the Anvil frequently was the students’ own busy schedules. Because of the academic rigor of their classes and extracurricular activities, some students just do not get the time to check out the latest issue or to read it, as they are hurrying from class to class and finishing up their homework. 

These reasons are very understandable, because Middlesex students are subject to rigorous courses and packed schedules. Yet, with a hundred years of history in its roots and a tradition of expert and eloquent writing on a variety of topics, The Anvil represents student engagement at the highest level. In the newspaper, students from your very own dorms and classes spend their hard-wrought time and effort into making the most informative, and often beautifully written, piece of writing possible. There are a wide range of topics possible, so one of them ought to catch your eye. 

After all, writing is not meant just to be kept inside classrooms and only brought up on occasion to receive English grades — it’s meant to be a source of creativity and enjoyment for yourself, as well as the gift of knowledge (and maybe even of certain emotions) for your readers.

Morgan Kim