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The Phreno Cosmian debuted as the official newspaper of the Dakota Wesleyan student body in November of 1890. In these early Phrenos, the front page would be devoted to a lengthy essay written by one of the student body. Such topics as the tariff, the recent visit of King William to the European countries, prohibition and failing crops were featured in its pages.

Over the years as the staff of the Phreno changed, so did its look. News stories began being printed on the front by 1909, and in 1916 the length of the pages increased, making room for “dirt columns and more frivolous items.” The Phreno has been printed in both a five-column and six-column format, as well as a tabloid size.

At first, the Phreno did not contain advertising, but as the years passed, the ads increased in number and size. Today, the Phreno is an eight-page format published four or five times a semester.

According to a 1941 edition of the Phreno, the Phreno Comian took its name from the original literary society on campus. “Phreno and cosmian are two Greek words: ‘phreno’ meaning heart or mind; and ‘cosmian’ meaning, in a sense, the world.” So in essence “the mind of the world” has provided the student body of Dakota Wesleyan a voice for well over a century.

The Korney News
Middle School Student Newspaper • March 26, 2009