Book excerpt: Among the oldest student publications in the United States, the Miscellany News traces its roots back to 1866. Beginning as a literary magazine and evolving into a contemporary newspaper, the paper has reported nearly 150 years of student experiences. The Miscellany has seen generations of Vassar College students who have witnessed the horrors of international war, felt the injustices of racial strife, and observed stirring protests unfold on their own campus. This narrative history of the Miscellany tells the story of the young men and women writing about their collegiate environment against the grand backdrop of American history. With careful qualitative and quantitative analysis-along with scores of interviews with former editors-Brian Farkas navigates the complex and fascinating history of the Miscellany. Blending historical investigation with his personal experience, Farkas presents a fascinating and often humorous window into journalism, history's first draft.