The Athenaeum, Acadia's student newspaper, marks 150 years this year. On November 15, current and former staff, alumni, community members, and student journalism supporters gathered to celebrate the publication at the K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre on campus.

As part of the Acadia Alumni Association’s Dr. Fred Gilbert Speaker Series, the latter half of the event was devoted to a panel on "Free Press in a Changing World" with special guests Rachel Gilmore, an investigative journalist; Dr. Alex Marland, a political scientist and Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Acadia; and renowned political cartoonist Michael de Adder.

The evening began with a welcome reception, where attendees mingled over light refreshments and shared memories of The Athenaeum's storied past. Guests heard speeches from former Editor-in-Chief and event organizer Colin Mitchell (’19), Acadia President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jeff Hennessy (’99), Executive Director, Alumni Relations Oonagh Proudfoot (’93, ’06), and Maryam A. Sheikh, current Editor-in-Chief of The Athenaeum. All spoke about journalism's importance and The Athenaeum's unique place in the Acadia community.

Following the speeches, the panelists and Mitchell discussed the state of media today. They delved into the challenges facing journalism, such as digital transformation, media trust, navigating a polarized media landscape, and the importance of fostering student journalists' voices and interest in the field.

The event celebrated a remarkable 150-year journey and looked forward to a future in which The Athenaeum continues to thrive as the heartbeat of Acadia's vibrant community.

See photos from the evening, and learn more about how you can support The Athenaeum and student journalists here.

Pictured above (from left to right): Michael de Adder, Rachel Gilmore, Alex Marland, and Colin Mitchell (’19).