The inaugural issue of the Tripod, September 23, 1904.

The Trinity Tripod has served as Trinity's student newspaper since 1904. It is funded through the semesterly Student Activities Fee, and aims to provide students and faculty with campus news, while also amplifying student voices.

In the paper's earliest days, the Tripod clearly influenced the political consciousness of the student body, carefully tracking the political career of President Flavel Sweeten Luther. Student polls have been a large part of the Tripod, and even today, news and politics remain a part of the paper, with the Opinion section largely serving as a platform for students to voice their political opinions.

The Tripod's motto, “Now then-Trinity!”, appeared in the first issue on September 23, 1904. The words are drawn from President Luther's inauguration speech and began appearing on the paper's masthead with the September 30, 1904 issue. Despite the exact meaning being unclear to current students, these words continue to serve as the paper's motto.

Since its founding, the Tripod has been published nearly continuously, with the exception of certain years, often during wartime. It is published on Tuesdays while classes are in session, and distributed throughout campus. The Tripod office sits under Jackson Hall Dormitority.

Famous alumni who wrote for the Tripod include Los Angeles Times sports writer Jim Murray ’43, Washington Post columnist George F. Will ’62, Philadelphia Inquirer editor William K. Marimow ’69, and Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein ’73-–all four are Pulitzer Prize winners. Other notable alumni include New York Times features writer Peter Kilborn ’61, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack ’88, and Sports Illustrated writer Stephanie Apstein ’10.

The Tripod has won several awards, including the first-place prize with special merit by the American Scholastic Press Association in 1992. The paper also has several traditions, including an annual Liepod, which includes jokes and satirical articles.

Trinity Tripod: About

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, p. 41.

History of Trinity College (1967) by Glenn Weaver, pp. 265, 297.