SIU student newspaper bids farewell to old printing press

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The printing press that for nearly a half century has churned out the student newspaper at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is no more.

The Southern Illinoisan reported the press was retired Thursday after printing its final copies of the 99-year-old Daily Egyptian.

The newspaper for now will be printed in Cape Girardeau. Shifting the work to another site is expected to save about $55,000 each academic year.

Now headed to storage, the printing press long has been a source of pride for the university. It was featured in tours for prospective students.

Dafna Lemish is dean of the university's College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. He says an out-of-state printer was chosen on an "emergency" basis.