Who knew Chico State students could be foreign correspondents? Or that a student-run newsroom could have a foreign correspondent?

Sixty-three years ago, The Wildcat weekly student newspaper certainly did, as a former student and Board of Control representative — expected to return to Chico State the following year — intended to write for the paper as he studied at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna. While studying in Austria, the student planned to write about Austrian student life and the contrasts between American and European university courses.*

In the 10-page issue of The Wildcat published on Nov. 8, 1962, top stories of the day included California Governor Edmund Brown defeating Republican rival and former vice president Richard Nixon for the governorship of the state and a public hearing on reestablishing the on-campus radio station KCSC.

In the same election which decided the state governor, a $270 million school construction bond was passed by voters. The then-executive dean at Chico State commented, “It is indeed gratifying to see that the public, when fully informed, supports the needs of higher education.” Another proposition put to a vote was one banning the Communist Party and persons of subversive groups, which did not pass.

After a formal request to reactivate the radio station was submitted, two open hearings were held, and a student opinion poll was conducted. The total estimate to reactivate and maintain the radio station was $350, the equivalent of $3,789 today, adjusted for inflation.

The editorial board of The Wildcat had opinions about the hesitancy of the Board of Control to approve an on-campus radio station, and laid out its argument in an editorial. The BOC believed the opinion poll to be biased, and one representative said, “Only the students who wanted KCSC voted. The others would not take the trouble to vote.” The editorial board took issue with this reasoning.

KCSC still runs to this day, and can be listened to on its website or the Radio FX app.

Fast forwarding to Nov. 8, 1989 — 36 years ago today — The Orion published a 22-page issue. It’s noteworthy that in 1989, 53 students made up The Orion editorial staff, and another 16 comprised the administrative and commercial staff of the newspaper.

This issue featured two not-often-covered stories: prospective adopters seeking out pregnant college students and educational programs designed for senior citizens.

The first story delved into examples of people adopting babies from Chico State students, as well as details of the adoption process. The university health center hosted books filled with letters and photos of potential adoptive parents, according to the article, and women could ask to interview couples listed in the book.

A director of counseling at a Chico adoption agency who was interviewed for the story had adopted a daughter from a Chico State student through an open adoption.

“Some women that come in from the university are not sure what they want to do — they want to look at everything,” she said. “We tell them the pros and cons on every option and let her decide what is the best for her. We’re very supportive no matter which option they choose. If she does choose adoption, then she is given free counseling throughout her pregnancy and for as long after as she wants it.”

The second story reported on seniors attending the Eldercollege program and the 60+ Fee Waiver program.

The Eldercollege program allowed people aged 60 and over to attend regular courses at Chico State on a space-available, no-credit basis for $30 (the equivalent of $80 today) each semester. The 60+ Fee Waiver program was similar, though people needed to be eligible for admission at the undergraduate or graduate level. They had access to the library and medical services on campus, and the cost was $5 (the equivalent of $13 today).

One participating senior shared that he began attending Chico State alongside his 19-year-old son, and they had classes on the same days and drove to school together.

He also already possessed two undergraduate degrees from San Jose State, but said, “Then it was a matter of economics, now that I’m not pressed for time I have time to take the classes that I always wanted to take.”

On page 21, The Orion’s opinion staff reported on an issue that 21st century students can readily relate to — bad study habits.

Three students — a telecommunication major, a sociology major and an industrial technology major — declared their worst habit to be procrastination. One student lamented, “Everything is due right before Thanksgiving, so I know I am just going to be hating life the last week before vacation.”

A communications major blamed the bars in Chico for his academic struggles and said, “All the bars that surround campus keep me from being a straight-A student. The social life up here is a lot of fun.”

*For curious readers, the student did occasionally write for The Wildcat while studying in Vienna, starting with a Letter to the Editor printed in December 1962 where he praised a recent edition of the paper and commented, “Being in Vienna, I could not agree with you more about the fact some students neglect any form of culture. Here one is able to hear and see a good opera or symphony every night of the week, and the price is right, 20 cents if you stand.”

To learn what another Chico State student had to say — quite strongly — about his time studying in Vienna and how the Austrian capital compared to the city of Chico, read pages three and six of this 1969 issue.

Archives of The Wildcat and The Orion can be found online and in the Meriam Library on campus.

Raquel Frohlich can be reached at [email protected].