Editor’s Note:

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated information regarding Gina Lamb’s position at The New York Times and her involvement with ACES: The Society for Editing.

In 1908, Walter Williams founded the world’s first school of journalism, establishing one of the most well-endowed institutions for student journalists. Those who wanted to expand their journalism careers joined The Maneater. 

The Maneater, founded in 1955, is the student-run newspaper at MU. The Maneater became an outlet for students to share news reports, opinions on student topics and reviews on media with the school community. Many alumni from the paper dedicate much of their careers to The Maneater and said it was a gateway to new opportunities.

Derrick Goold, graduating class of ‘97, currently works as a sportswriter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold believes he would not have gotten to where he is now without The Maneater. 

“I don’t know if I would be a sportswriter, if [it wasn’t] for The Maneater,” Goold said. “I do know that if it was going to happen, it would have happened slower, and if it happened slower, I’m not sure I’d be a baseball writer.” 

At MU, Goold studied journalism and political science. One of the first events he went to on campus was an orientation event for The Maneater. His stories caught the attention of the sports editor, who asked him to cover a football game. 

Since then, Goold has had an extensive career in sports journalism, from his first job at the New Orleans Times-Picayune to working in St. Louis covering the Cardinals.

Larry Van Dyne, graduating class of ‘67, was unsure of the career he wanted to go in when he was a student. He was a first-generation college student and a second-generation high school graduate. 

Van Dyne joined The Maneater staff around the fall of 1964 and later assumed an editor position.

“The editor said, ‘You know, you seem like a pretty good addition, if you hang in there and work hard, I’m going to recommend that you, in two or three years,  become the editor of The Maneater.’” Van Dyne said.

Van Dyne started his career as an education reporter for the Boston Globe. He then completed a fellowship at Stanford University and freelanced as a journalist before assuming a position as a senior writer at  Washingtonian Magazine for 30 years. 

While many students go into college with a career path in mind, Gina Lamb, graduating class of ‘95, had a change of plans after her time at The Maneater. Although she valued the articles she wrote, she found her passion in copy editing. 

After graduating from MU, Lamb worked for a group of suburban daily papers outside New York City. She later moved to Colorado, where she joined ACES: The Society for Editing. 

“[I] worked in Denver from 1997 to 2000,” Lamb said. “Then one day, the phone rang at my desk, and it was a recruiter from The New York Times who said, ‘We’re hiring copy editors. Are you interested in applying?’”

Since then, Lamb has worked as an editor on several desks for The New York Times. She currently serves as deputy editor of the Special Sections desk.

With a notable network of alumni, the legacy of The Maneater continues. 

Edited by Molly Levine | mlevine@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com 

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com