Looking Back a Decade: A Glance at The Waltonian in ’04

A New Year means new resolutions and goals; it also means reflecting on the past to see how much one has changed over the years. In honor of the turn of the year, The Waltonian dug through the archives of past issues to discover where it was ten years ago, in January of 2004.

On the front page in January 2004, under a maroon heading and a photo of a student hugging the Eastern Eagle, was a photo of Eastern theology professor Dr. Chris Hall meeting Pope John Paul II after a ceremony at the Vatican in Rome. Dr. Hall was given this opportunity because of his work on Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Below the article of these two religious men was, ironically, an article on the increase in illegal music downloads on Eastern’s campus.

A page of Arts and Entertainment was devoted to five local boy bands, all featuring current or former Eastern students. Though several bands, like Encryptor, put out a few albums, neither Encryptor nor The One-Nine Crew, No Mirage, Full Surrender, or Dreaming Under Mercury, hit the big leagues.

However, perhaps the most entertaining article in January 2004 was Sodexho rumors put to rest (also, what’s with the “H” in Sodexo?). I believe the first sentence says it all: “It’s that sprint to the bathroom after a trip to the Breezeway that leaves some students wondering if Sodexho slips laxatives into the food.” That’s right. Students accused Sodex(h)o of slipping a little something extra to the students, to which the former manager, David DiGregorio, replied would be “unethical.”  Mike Kenis, the former Production Manager and now General Manager, argued that students were simply facing indigestion due to a change of eating habits from home to campus.

The Waltonian has certainly evolved in the last ten years, and not just in its lack of laxative-related articles. The January 2004 issue featured exclusively Eastern stories, while today The Waltonian branches out into national and international news, as well as current celebrity news and pop culture. However, if The Waltonian is ever in need of some Eastern news stories, maybe it ought to look into up-and-coming boy bands on campus. Perhaps there will even be a revival of The One-Nine Crew (but leave the bleached tips and ripped off shirt sleeves in 2004, boys).