Like most any institution, newspapers have high moments and low moments.

On the high side, it has been said that newspapers are “the first rough draft of history.” They are our eyes and ears to events across the globe. They cover wars and conflicts. They provide us with the scores of ball games, cricket matches, and tennis and golf tournaments. They occasionally expose corruption. They have the power to hold elected officials accountable to promises and the laws. They are often powerful agents for openness and transparency. And they are also forums for the exchange of information and opinions.

But when misused, this power can also inflame, misinform, and sensationalize. There is a famous quote (its accuracy somewhat in doubt) related to William Randolph Hearst shortly before the Spanish American War. One of Hearst’s photo-journalists reported that war did not appear imminent, and as a result, he was unable to send back any war photos. To which Hearst is said to have replied, “You send me the photos, and I’ll give you a war.” So the press can be a powerful force, and not always for the good. There’s the National Inquirer, too.

Ultimately, newspapers have the opportunity to serve a variety of constructive purposes. Publicly-spirited papers often seek to enlighten and educate their readers. Others serve as a forum for debate and, in the process, open lines of communication. Some entertain. Some dedicate themselves to investigative journalism.

At The Reporter, we have absorbed bits and pieces of all these various visions. We have sought to explore on this page the larger issues that animate contemporary life. This has meant writing not only about the “here and now”, but also about the principles that underlie our political and economic institutions, and their evolution over time.

In our previous issue, we took at look at a legendary entrepreneur, Bill Hewlett. We sought to gain a better understanding of how his creativity, risk-taking, and determination led to one of the world’s largest philanthropies, and how that philanthropy might be used to strengthen the institutions that are necessary for entrepreneurship and creativity to flourish. It is the challenge of what Andrew Carnegie once described as “helping people help themselves.”

In this issue, we have sought to balance our serious focus with some reflections on GSB social life. We’ve compiled a “Zagat’s-like” guide to local restaurants, recreation activities, and shopping around Stanford and the Bay Area. It is our effort to fulfill the third element of our theme this year – “Capturing a Slice of GSB Life”, which trails “Opening Lines of Communication” and “Sparking Debate and Discussion.”

But we see greater purpose to this Guide than simply its immediate value. We’ll be posting it on our Website, the Virtual Reporter, where it will be a resource for students this year, next year, and in the years ahead. The picks and preferences will certainly change, but the basic information it provides will continue to be relevant long after we graduate.

Indeed, in pulling this Guide together, it became clear to our Staff that there is an additional purpose that a newspaper should serve at a small institution such as the GSB. A newspaper is one of the few institutions that has the capability to preserve “institutional memory.”

Students come and go. Administrators and staff come and go. Faculty arrive as junior professors. Some are granted tenure. Other are not. Those who stay usually stay for a long while. As they gain years of experience, they also acquire institutional memory. Just ask Jim Van Horne or Jim March or Dave Brady to lunch. They can give you an oral history of the GSB. But as with most things in life that are verbally communicated, these oral histories often seem to remain bottled up.

From time to time, students are fortunate to hear from Professor Van Horne or Dean Brady or Dean Parker or Dean Kreps or other senior faculty members speak about how things have changed at the GSB over time. The venue is often a “Deans Table” over lunch in Arbuckle, Student-Faculty dinners, or lunches with professors (which are partially reimbursable through the Academic Committee).

But all too often these conversations are fleeting, and are not picked up again. Continuing that dialogue is perhaps one of the best roles a newspaper at a business school can serve. It can be the instrument through which regular feedback and communication flows. And it can remind folks how things used to be and how and why the have changed over time.

At the GSB, it is very easy to get so wrapped up in activities and work that it can be difficult to take a step back and think about how our actions can have an impact on the school over the long-term. Occasionally, though, events do give us the pause we need to step back. A notable instance occurred last month when the second-year class debated Class Norms and discussed the issue of grade disclosure.

When those instances arise, we as a community need to keep a written record of them. It’s our institutional memory. It’s our way of communicating with the next generation of students, faculty, and administrators. And it’s our way of linking the present with the past and the future.

At The Reporter, we are committed to strengthening the GSB’s institutional memory – and we are pleased that so many different voices are contributing in our pages, and helping us in the effort. We hope many of you who have not written so far will also consider joining the effort. It is a calling that is well-suited to a newspaper that seeks to serve the needs of the community.

We believe this Guide will play an important role in that effort. It captures the preferences and experiences of many in the community so as to do what a good Guide should: provide the reader with insights and perspective on the social scene at the GSB. Judge for yourself, and let us know what you think. We would like to update the Guide annually.

We hope this Guide to Stanford and Beyond will be of use to you in finding good places to explore and visit. And in the process, we hope it will subtlely remind you of the importance of keeping a written record of our time here.

Enjoy!

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