When Mark Laywhyee arrived at Rosemont in fall 2023, he noticed a flurry of events and activities on campus-but also a disconnect. 

“There was a lot happening, but I felt students didn’t always know about it,” Mark said. “I wondered why we didn’t have a student newspaper. I thought, ‘It’s not here-so let me do it.’” 

With support from the Office of Student Engagement, Mark, a political science and communications major, filed the paperwork to relaunch The Rambler as an official student club. He formed an executive board with fellow students passionate about writing and community-building: Miriam Butt ’25 (Vice President), Gianna Benson ’25 (Treasurer), Elise Stankus ’25 (Secretary), and first-year Tori Jones (Media Manager). Mark serves as club president, but from the beginning, he made collaboration a priority. 

“I didn’t want to do this all on my own,” he said. “The paper belongs to the students.” 

On October 21, 2024, the team published the first issue of The Rambler in over a decade, reviving a publication that had been dormant since 2013. With a goal of printing two issues per semester, the newspaper quickly gained momentum in both readership and contributions. 

“At first, we weren’t sure anyone would submit anything,” Mark said. “Now, we have so many pieces we don’t know where to put them. It’s a good problem to have.” 

During the 2024–2025 academic year, The Rambler produced four issues and became more than a news source-it became a hub for student voice and engagement. In addition to campus coverage, the club hosted election-focused events including watch parties for the presidential and vice-presidential debates, live Election Night coverage, and a post-election debrief session open to the entire campus. 

The Rambler’s Roots and Resurgence 

The Rambler was first published on March 25, 1931, and over the years chronicled both local and global history-covering major events like World War II and the Vietnam War, while also celebrating campus milestones and early athletics victories. It was a mirror of student life and a platform for thoughtful dialogue. 

When the last issue went to print in 2013, no student leadership stepped in to continue the legacy. According to Chelsea Frank, executive director of the Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library, the rise of social media likely contributed to the newspaper’s decline. 

“We don’t have records explaining exactly why it stopped,” she said. “But the shift to digital platforms in the mid-2010s certainly played a role.” 

Today, in an age of constant scrolling, the return of The Rambler in print form offers students something refreshingly different. 

“Print offers a change of pace for students who are always immersed in their digital networks,” Mark explained. 

“I think there’s a novelty to holding something in your hands,” added Miriam. 

“The evidence is there,” said Gianna. “We had to print more copies after we ran out of the first issue.” 

With each new issue, The Rambler team set up shop in the Community Center lobby-often drawing a crowd with their energy, enthusiasm, and a box of donuts in tow. 

Inspired by the Archives, Guided by Passion 

The inspiration to relaunch The Rambler came when Mark, like many first-year students, attended an Archives presentation during his First Year Connections Seminar. With guidance from Katie Baker, Associate Professor of Writing and faculty advisor to The Rambler, he pored over old editions of the newspaper. 

“The Rambler has always been such a crucial part of our college’s history,” said Baker. “It was there that Mark really connected with the history of the paper. He and the executive team took full ownership of the project, doing extensive research to get it up and running again.” 

Baker, along with Frank Klose, Discipline Coordinator of the Communication Department, serves as faculty advisor to the club. Klose strongly believes in preserving student leadership as the heart of the publication. 

“I really believe in letting the student-run paper be truly student-run, with advisors intervening only when they are asked to be a resource,” said Klose. “But that only works when the student leadership can excel, and this group surely can.”   

Looking Ahead 

When news of Rosemont’s future merger with Villanova broke in spring 2025, the Rambler team quickly shifted gears to provide thoughtful coverage in their next issue. For the editors, the timing of the newspaper’s revival has taken on a deeper significance. 

“It feels even more special now,” said Mark. “We have the chance to document Rosemont’s final years as an independent institution and help make them unforgettable.” 

For senior leaders like Gianna, graduating in 2025 brings a mix of emotions. 

“It’s bittersweet to leave, but I’m so glad I was part of this in my senior year. I can’t wait to see what’s next for The Rambler.” 

Mark is already preparing to kick off the next publishing cycle for the 2025–2026 academic year, determined to make The Rambler an enduring part of Rosemont’s legacy-again. 

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