Few us remember the 70s, a time where gas was 65 cents to the gallon and movie tickets cost on average $2.23.
It was also a time when Dr. David H. Ponitz started the Clarion, Sinclair’s newspaper. He came through dirt, dust and debris, as the president of Sinclair in 1975, and changed Sinclair into the thriving community college that it is today.
As the college started to thrive, two years later, the Clarion was born.
Dr. Ponitz said he believed that there was a need for the college to have a newspaper that communicated various issues, campus events and unbiased information to other students, faculty and staff.
“Communication has been a very important part of Sinclair,” Dr. Ponitz said. “At that time, we really wanted to make sure that there was an advocate for the faculty, for the staff and every place for the students at Sinclair.”
But the paper was more than that.
It served as a bridge that helped students attain their educational goals, gain career experience and served as one of the many voices of the colleges, according to Ponitz.
But the greatest benefit Ponitz said was that the paper enforced dialogue within the campus and allowed students to understand the mission of the college.
“My real pleasure has been first, getting the paper started but second, seeing some real improvement in students that were interested and excited,” Dr. Ponitz said. “I think even then the students worked hard and took the time to get it right.”
The years have come and gone, and the Clarion has seen several mastheads and formatting changes. Sinclair has gone through several changes since 1975, as well as increasing from 4,000 students to more than 28,000 in 2011 – and the Clarion remains.
“I still read the paper when I am on campus, and I’m impressed that more and more of the stories are written by students at Sinclair,” he said. “I am pleased that through the Clarion the students are understanding what Sinclair is all about.”