''The Current'' is the official student newspaper of the

University of Missouri–St. Louis The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is a public research university in St. Louis, Missouri. Established in 1963, it is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System and its newest. Located on the former grounds of Bel ...

. ''The Current'' is a tabloid published weekly on Mondays. The paper has won numerous awards, including "Best in State" from the Missouri College Media Association. Its office is located on the first floor of the Millennium Student Center on the north campus.

History

''The Current'' was preceded by the monthly ''Tiger Cub'' from 1960–63 and the bi-weekly ''Mizzou News'' from 1963–66. The newspaper's name became ''UMSL Current'' in 1966; "UMSL" was later dropped from the name. The name change was intended to foster an identity independent from the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

in Columbia. The name ''Current'' refers to the river motif associated with the student body's choice of "Riverman" as the school mascot. UMSL has since changed its mascot to the Triton.

Some notable events

* ''The Current's'' former office, in a house at 7940 Natural Bridge Rd., was damaged by an arsonist in 1997. * ''The Current'' broke a national story in September 1999 when it reported that the president of the Student Government Association was a convicted felon who had pleaded guilty to two felonies, stealing a credit device and fraudulent use of a credit device, shortly after he won the spring election. * For the 2000–2001 school year, ''The Current'' won its first "Best Overall Newspaper" and "Sweepstakes" awards from the Missouri College Media Association. * In 2003 and again in 2004, ''The Current'' faced cuts to the subsidy it receives from student activity fees. The situation generated media coverage in St. Louis. The funds eventually were restored. *For the 2006–2007 school year, ''The Current'' won several first place awards from the Missouri College Media Association, including "Best Page One Design," "Best Editorial Page," and "Best in State." * In 2009, the university suspended ''The Current's'' student organization privileges for issues related to payroll. ''The Current'' was put back in good standing with Student Life in August 2009. * During the 2014–2015 academic year, ''The Current'' started a month-long crowdfunding campaign following the university's decision to completely cut the paper's funding. The campaign raised $8,923 of its $10,000 goal.

Alumni

* Vincent Schoemehl – Mayor of the City of St. Louis 1981–1993 *

Clint Zweifel Clint Zweifel (born November 3, 1973), is an American politician and businessman who served as the State Treasurer of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the most recent member of the party to hold that office ...

– Missouri state treasurer * Marty Hendin – vice president of community relations for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

Organization

''The Current'' operates as an independent student organization with its own constitution. Each year, the newspaper's staff votes for a new editor-in-chief. As of 2014, ''The Current'' is funded solely by advertising sales. The staff consists of students and a faculty advisor.

References

External links