The Tangerine has been a staple of Utica University since its inception over 75 years ago in 1946. What began as a bulletin board notice and a meeting with over 20 people has turned into an independent student-run newspaper for the campus.

During Homecoming, which has been postponed for the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tangerine will hold its 75th Anniversary reception on Oct. 1 from 7 – 9 p.m. 

The reception, which will take place in the Frank E. Gannett Memorial Library found in the John A. Donohue, Sr. ‘75 and Valerie F. Donohue Concourse, costs $10 per non-student and is free to current Utica students.

The event is being sponsored by the Raymond Simon Institute, which was founded in 1986 and named after former head of the Utica public relations program Raymond Simon to support communications programs related to public relations and journalism.

According to Patricia Swann, professor of public relations and management, the event is for both current students and alumni of journalism and public relations.

“The reception celebrates the importance of The Tangerine’s presence on our campus and its influence in shaping future journalists and writers,” Swann said. “For students, this is another opportunity to network with professionals.”

During the reception, attendees can chat reminisce about their days in the paper over some good food, according to Professor of Journalism Mary Christopher.

“We have been so disconnected due to the pandemic, so this is a nice opportunity to reconnect with other alums,” Christopher said. “Throughout the years, I’ve heard so many alumni recall memorable stories from their days on the Tangerine staff and express gratitude for learning so much after working on the newspaper. We hope current students will mingle and network with these alumni.” 

A short program of speakers, which includes former Tangerine editor-in-chiefs James McClendon ‘17 and Maria Montero Silva ‘20, will talk about the importance of the student newspaper and its relevance today.

According to RSI chair Frank Maurizio, the reception will be a fun social event for current students and alumni, as well as a time for remembering Professor Simon and Professor Jack Behrens.

Simon taught at Utica from 1949, when the college was still part of Syracuse University, until 1985. During this time, he helped establish one of the first undergraduate minors in public relations at Utica and remained involved with the university after his retirement.

On July 16, 2021, professor emeritus of public relations and journalism Jack Behrens passed away. He founded Utica’s journalism program in 1972 and served as adviser to the Tangerine for many years, as well as chair of the public relations and journalism department.

The reception will offer an opportunity to remember these influential figures and how they shaped the public relations and journalism programs at Utica.

To register for this event, visit www.utica.edu/homecoming.