Established in 1965, The Torch is the independent newspaper of Lane Community College.
The Torch is an award-winning, student-produced campus newspaper with an average circulation of over 1,500. It is an autonomous newspaper free from censorship by the college administration, faculty and student government.
Historically a weekly paper, The Torch currently has the capacity to publish monthly during fall, winter and spring terms, and publish weekly online during school year.
After ceasing printing operations and going online-only in 2019, then going nearly dormant in the wake of the pandemic, The Torch is now being brought back to life through increased student interest, diligent work on behalf of the students and faculty!
The Torch serves three purposes:
- It provides news and information of importance and interest to Lane students and staff.
- It serves as a learning laboratory for students of journalism, graphic arts, photography, publishing and advertising.
- It provides a communication channel for student commentary and debate. All Lane students may submit opinion essays and letters for publication in The Torch.
Awards
Student journalists at The Torch have won hundreds of awards over the years that the publication has been in print (just ask to see our archives)! More recently, they include:
2024-2025 Pacific Northwest Association of Professional Journalism Educators Awards
- Category: Comprehensive Coverage (Lane Board of Education)
- Award: Honorable Mention
- Awarded to: Kat Tabor, River Shepherd, The Torch
- Category: Personality Profile ("A Conversation with Rebecca I. Long")
- Award: 1st Place
- Awarded to: River Shepherd, The Torch
- Category: Best Portrait ("Whale Watching")
- Award: 1st Place
- Awarded to: Kat Tabor, The Torch
Get Involved
There are stipend positions, for members of the editorial staff. Students can also get credit through the Cooperative Education program while working on The Torch. Internships are available for reporters, photographers, and graphic designers. Some positions are also available for Federal Work Study students.
Cooperative Education (Co-op) is an educational partnership between Lane Community College, the business community and Lane students. Co-op links classroom theory and hands-on skills with real job experience. Students earn credit and gain invaluable work experience as an intern in The Torch.
Please contact us or view our Media Kit.
Are you moved to share your fresh perspective on an issue impacting students at Lane Community College? Do you have something to say about one of our published stories? Do you want to contribute to discussions that could help us solve problems together? We’d love to hear about it!
Consider writing a letter to the editor or a guest viewpoint
We’re always looking for thoughtful commentary to provide insight and connections that help us better understand topics of community interest. And if you’re in need of a little coaching, we’ll work with you to get your ideas published.
Basic guidelines follow. Contact torcheditor@lanecc.edu with any questions.
Letters to the editor:
Express a complete thought in 250 to 350 words.
Factual claims must be verifiable, so source your information.
Address an issue that impacts us at Lane Community College.
Include your full name and Lane email address. Letters are published with the writer’s name only.
Letters are edited for length, clarity, Associated Press style, libelous or tasteless material.
Only one letter per writer per 30 days.
Please know that The Torch will publish letters at our discretion.
Send your letter to torcheditor@lanecc.edu
Guest viewpoint:
We welcome a variety of voices and thought-provoking perspectives that touch on issues worth discussing, within the following parameters:
800 words or less.
Factual claims must be verifiable, so source your information.
Must address an issue that impacts us at Lane Community College.
Include your full name and Lane email address. You may also include a headshot photo (optional). Only your name and photo will be published with your piece.
Guest viewpoints are edited for length, clarity, Associated Press style, libelous or tasteless material.
Only one guest viewpoint per writer per 30 days.
Please know that The Torch will publish guest viewpoints at our discretion.
Send your viewpoint to torcheditor@lanecc.edu
How to submit:
Send a completed draft of your guest viewpoint in the body of an email or as a Google or Word doc to torcheditor@lanecc.edu
Like with letters, include your full name and Lane email address. Also, include a headshot without sunglasses. Make sure to source any factual claims.
How we edit submissions:
Guest viewpoints are subject to the same rules of editing as letters – length, clarity, Associated Press style, libelous or tasteless material.
If we’re interested in your guest viewpoint, we’ll likely let you know within a week. You would then receive feedback on the first draft with an eye toward argument, writing quality, and original voices. It might take some back-and-forth editing exchanges to get your piece ready for publication. Note, we want original content that has not been previously published. Any published guest viewpoint is at the discretion of the editor.
Contact The Torch
Advisor: Camilla Mortensen, torchadvisor@lanecc.edu
Editor in chief: torcheditor@lanecc.edu
Managing editor: torch@lanecc.edu
Eugene, OR 97405
Center Building, Room 008
(LCC is closed on Fridays during summer term)