Founded in 1873 by the students of Bates College, The Bates Student came into being to serve as the official record of life at the university. The idea sparked when the student body decided to transition from a monthly literary magazine to a more frequent newspaper format that could better keep up with campus news, debates, and student opinions. They launched the paper to ensure that the student voice was heard clearly on campus. Today, the publication is a student-run organization that operates independently within the college. Today, The Bates Student is run by an editorial board of undergraduate students and is mainly focused on campus news, opinion pieces (featured in the "Forum" section), arts and leisure, and college sports (covering the Bates Bobcats). They are based in Lewiston, Maine, and serve as the primary source of information for the students, faculty, and alumni of Bates College. One interesting fact: A unique fact about The Bates Student is its historic title. It holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously published co-educational college weekly newspaper in the United States, having printed issues since the late 19th century when very few colleges even admitted women.