About UMD Student Newspapers

The UMD Student Newspapers database is the realization of a long-term goal of the University of Maryland Archives staff, to make all the major student newspapers on campus accessible and searchable online.

This project began with a Launch UMD crowd-funding campaign in spring 2015, led by a team of UMD Libraries and Philip Merrill College of Journalism staff and undergraduates. With funding in place for phase one, the Archives staff began work with the Libraries’ Digital Systems and Stewardship (DSS) division to digitize the early issues of the paper known today as The Diamondback. Once the digital files were returned to the UMD Libraries, the DSS staff undertook the design of the user interface for the UMD Student Newspapers database that you are using today.

At present, the UMD Student Newspapers database includes issues of The Diamondback and its predecessors that appeared in hard copy from January 1, 1910, through December 15, 2014. Additional issues of The Diamondback are being digitized and will be added to the database as soon as they are available. Fundraising continues to fund the digitization of The Diamondback through the present, as well as to digitize other student newspapers.

Keyword searching

Enter your keyword(s) in the box on the Search or Browse pages. You can then limit your search by decade, year, month, and day to narrow your results.

Click on a search result to be taken to the page containing your keyword(s). The keyword(s) you searched will be highlighted in yellow on the page. You can turn the highlighting off and on by clicking the highlights icon. 

Browsing

Browse UMD Student Newspapers by publication title, component (article, page, or issue), or decade. Decade can be further limited by year, month, and day or filtered by newspaper title or component. The calendar on the Browse page can also be used to select a specific issue date to review (e.g., January 1, 1910, to locate the first issue of The Triangle); dates for issues that appear in the database are highlighted on the calendar.

Display Features

Moving and Zooming

• Icons that allow you to move around the newspaper viewer and zoom in and out are located in the lower right corner of the screen.
• The plus and minus icons allow you to zoom in and out, making the image on the screen appear larger or smaller.
• The directional arrows that appear around the house icon allow you to move around the screen. You can also move around the screen by clicking anywhere within the newspaper viewer, holding, and dragging the image to the desired area.
• Clicking the house icon will reset the image to its original position.

Views

• Image View displays one page of the paper at a time.
• Book View displays two pages simultaneously.
• Scroll View allows you to use your mouse to move the pages of the issue from side-to-side.
• Gallery View facilitates selection of individual pages of each issue.

Information

• Clicking on the "i" information icon displays basic information, or metadata, about each issue.

Fullscreen

• The diagonal arrows at the top right of the screen allow you to toggle back and forth between the full screen view of the newspaper viewer.

Selection Text 

• Hovering your mouse over an article will highlight it green. Click on the article to open the article text in a pane on the left of side of the screen. You can highlight and copy the article text from this pane. Toggle the side panel open and closed by clicking the side panel icon.

Image Manipulation

• The icon second down from the top left of the screen allows you to rotate the image 90 degrees to the left or right; adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation; toggle grayscale; change background colors from light to dark; and automatically reset the image.

Clipping Tool  

• Portions of individual pages may be downloaded and saved for later reference by using the clipping tool, the third icon down from the top left of the screen. Click on this icon, then click and drag on the portion of the page you wish to save. Dragging will create a box around the area of the page that will be downloaded. You can readjust the size and position of the box if needed. Once the box is in the desired position, click the checkmark to save your selection as a .jpg file. If you wish to cancel your selection, click on the X to get rid of the box and start over.

The University of Maryland holds the copyright to the issues of The Diamondback and its predecessors from 1910 until the formation of Maryland Media Inc. in October 1971. The Nyumburu Cultural Center owns all rights to the Black Explosion newspaper. To simplify the process of seeking permission to reprint an article from either paper, all queries should be directed to askhornbake@umd.edu for routing to the appropriate body.

Questions regarding this project can be directed to askhornbake@umd.edu.

View a list of additional University of Maryland publications that have been digitized.

The Diamondback began publication on January 1, 1910, under the name The Triangle. The paper changed title multiple times until its name became The Diamondback with the June 9, 1921, issue.

• Triangle, January 1, 1910 – October 14, 1914
• M.A.C. Weekly, October 21, 1914 – May 31, 1916
• Maryland State Weekly, September 1916 – January 30, 1919 (variant titles M. S. Weekly and M. S. C. Weekly during this time)
• Maryland State Review, February 6, 1919 – June 10, 1920
• University Review, October 7, 1920 – May 1921
• The Diamondback, June 9, 1921 – present

Publication frequency has varied over the years. Initially, the paper appeared biweekly, moving to a weekly, then a daily format on weekdays during the academic year. In March 2020, The Diamondback ceased publication of a print edition. Current issues of The Diamondback can be found online at DBKnews.com.

The Asian student papers 14% and 15%, published in 1995, were in part a reaction to the Asian Voice, published earlier in the 1990s, since those editors sought to portray the diversity of the Asian community at UMD and stated that Asians did not speak with one voice. The titles of the two papers represented the percentage of Asian Americans at the university at that time.

14% and 15%, while closely associated with the Asian Student Union, emphasized the breadth of the Asian community and reported on the activities of various Asian student groups across campus. The papers also reported on progress to establish an Asian American studies program and other student activism the work of the Asian, Hispanic, and Native American Task Force; and issues of concern to Asian Americans. In addition to traditional articles, the papers included film and music reviews, poetry, and opinion pieces.

The Asian Voice began publication with volume 1, number 1 on September 13, 1991, and the UMD Archives holds issues through volume 3, number 3, April/May 1994. The paper had various subtitles during its run, including “Asian Student Newsletter,” “Asian Student Union Newspaper,” “Asian Pacific Islander Student Union Newspaper,” and “Asian Pacific American Newspaper.” Along with traditional articles, the paper also featured calendars of events, comics, works of fiction, and opinion pieces.

Throughout this three-year period, the Asian Voice was closely associated with the Asian Student Union and provided frequent coverage of the group’s role on campus and activities. The paper also examined Asian American stereotypes and culture, Asian relations on campus and interactions with UMD administration, under-representation of Asian faculty and staff. In addition, a number of articles focus on travel abroad and the on-going work to establish an Asian American studies program.

The Asian student papers 14% and 15%, published in 1995, were in part a reaction to the Asian Voice, since those editors sought to portray the diversity of the Asian community at UMD and stated that Asians did not speak with one voice.

Black Explosion staff strives to serve as the “black voice” for the University of Maryland and to bring particular attention to issues that affect the black community at UMD.

The Black Student Union began publishing an independent newspaper entitled the Black Explosion sometime between 1967 and 1970; the actual date is unclear, and the founding date is reported variously on the masthead of the paper itself. Maryland Media Inc. voted to accept this bi-monthly paper as a full member in September 1972, and the Black Explosion appeared under the MMI umbrella until fall 1985 when the Nyumburu Cultural Center took over sponsorship of the paper. The paper was also briefly known as simply “The Explosion,” from fall 1978 to March 1979, before resuming the name it bears today.

Publication frequency varied in the paper’s early days from monthly to bi-weekly then weekly, returning to a bi-monthly schedule in 1974, which it maintained until the later years of the paper. Ultimately, in early 2016, Black Explosion became an online-only publication at https://www.blackexplosionnews.com/.

The Eclipse began publication on September 16, 1985, and was designed to succeed the Black Explosion. Published by Maryland Media Inc. initially biweekly, its publication frequency varied, ultimately becoming a monthly paper. The last issue was published May 2013.

The development of The Eclipse was somewhat controversial. Many members of the UMD African American community felt that the name change was not necessary and continued to support publication of the Black Explosion when the Nyumburu Cultural Center took over responsibility for this paper in 1985. Throughout the life of The Eclipse, there were repeated calls in the paper for the unification of the two publications, but this never occurred.

An editorial in the initial issue of The Eclipse set forth the paper’s purpose and shed light on the selection of its title:

“Like the solar eclipse, our paper will attempt to present
stories in a different light. Our viewpoints will differ
from those of the Diamondback and Mitzpeh and reflect
the uniqueness and beauty of black culture on our campus.”

The Chinese Student Association (CSA) briefly published a newspaper entitled The Expression in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The paper, funded entirely by the CSA, contained a significant amount of content in Chinese and extensive coverage of CSA activities and events, as well as events in the general Chinese community. As with other papers published by Asian student groups during this period, The Expression included multiple calls for Asian American solidarity and the establishment of an Asian American Studies program. The paper also featured student commentary and profiles, calendars of events, personal messages, and frequent advertisements for Chinese restaurants in the College Park area.

Ha-Koach served as the first Jewish student newspaper at the University of Maryland. It first appeared in 1976 as a monthly paper and was funded in part by Maryland Media Inc. and the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation. Throughout its publication, the paper maintained a close connection to the Jewish Student Union and covered news relating to Israel, Soviet Jewry, and issues and events of interest to the UMD Jewish population.

Publication frequency varied in the early years, but Ha-Koach solidified its monthly schedule during the academic year when it was accepted as a full member of Maryland Media Inc. in 1980. Concerns about the lack of a dedicated staff and lack of support from the Jewish community surfaced in the early 1980s, and the paper ceased to publish in the spring of 1983. Ha-Koach was succeeded by the Mitzpeh in fall 1983.

Hanoori, published by the Korean Student Association (KSA), was the earliest Asian student newspaper at the University of Maryland. Volume 1, number 1 appeared in November 1990, and the UMD Archives holds issues through volume 3, number 1, December 1992. Publication occurred once a semester, and the paper often included articles in Korean.

Topics covered in Hanoori included the history and activities of the Korean Student Association; profiles of faculty, administrators, and students; protests against the war in Iraq; issues of concern to the KSA and the organization’s annual song contest; and love life advice in letters to “Mr. UM.”

Mitzpeh succeeded Ha-Koach on September 14, 1983. According to an editorial in the inaugural issue, the paper’s core goal was “to help students and faculty of this campus better understand Jewish life at the school and to report on events affecting the Jewish population here.”

In Hebrew, “Mitzpeh” means “place from where one can look out.” Throughout its publication history, the paper also had various subtitles, including The Jewish View, The Outlook, News and Views from the Jewish Community, and The Jewish Observer.

In 2000, Mitzpeh created its own website and the position of webmaster on its staff, thus beginning a gradual transition to the online-only format it enjoys today. The number of analog issues shrank annually until November 2015, when the paper ceased to publish in hard copy. Today, readers can find Mitzpeh at http://umdmitzpeh.com/.

The Public Asian, a product of the Asian American Student Union, is the longest-running Asian Pacific American (APA) student newspaper held by the University of Maryland Archives. Issues in the Archives run from volume 2, number 4 (April 1996) to volume 20, number 1 (October 2013). The frequency of publication appears to have varied, but the paper was often published on a monthly basis during the academic year. Public Asian was distributed primarily on the UMD campus, but issues beginning in 2010 note that the newspaper was also available in the Asian American Reading Room at the Library of Congress.

Similar to other Asian American student papers, referenced in the Public Asian’s early subtitle, “A Voice of the 15%,” this publication provided extensive coverage of student organizations and their activities; campus events, such as Asian Pacific American Month; and the establishment and development of the Asian American Studies Program. The paper also included profiles of UMD students, faculty, and staff; commentary and opinions from students; restaurant reviews and recipes; and calendars of events. What differentiated the Public Asian from the other Asian American student papers was its significant focus on national and international figures in the Asian Pacific American community and issues of importance beyond the campus’ borders.

La Voz Latina was an irregularly published student newspaper targeted at the University of Maryland Latino community. The UMD Archives holds issues from September 1987 through April 2011, but there are large gaps in publication dates. The paper was a forum for Latino students to speak out on a variety of issues and to share news, events, poetry, and recipes. Articles appeared in both English and Spanish. The editors stated in the April 1991 issue the purpose of La Voz Latina was “to diffuse knowledge about our Latin American cultures which transcend political and geographical boundaries despite their diversity” and “to promote an awareness of Latino values and needs.”

La Voz Latina was not affiliated with any particular student organization on campus and had only a brief relationship with Maryland Media, Inc., which produced the first four issues of the paper in 1987.

After ceasing publication in hard copy, the paper had an online presence through Facebook, Twitter, and a blog on Wordpress, but activity appears to have ended by 2017.