The 131-year-old history of The Pleiad’s name

Students named Albion College’s student-run newspaper The Pleiad in 1882, according to albion.edu. The Pleiad has a rich history.

The publication made its transition to a completely online paper in the fall of 2009.

Additionally, the 2009-2010 school year was a decorative year for The Pleiad’s staff, as multiple writers and the staff’s photographer won Michigan Press Association awards.  This was the fifth year in a row that The Pleiad won multiple Division II awards, according to albion.edu.

But The Pleiad has a history full of more than technological advances and a decorative trophy case.  Though the true origin of The Pleiad’s name is somewhat of a mystery.

Perhaps the most popular idea is that the name came from the lost Pleiad from Greek mythology.

According to pleiade.org, the myth tells the story of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. The seven sisters were turned into doves of the heavens, and six of the seven are visible today to the naked eye as part of the constellation Taurus.  But the seventh sister, Electra, who was an ancestor of the royal house of Troy, abandoned her sisters and became a comet upon Troy’s annihilation.

Since Michigan is referred to as the “fair Peloponnesus of the west,” according to Ian MacInnes, English professor, it is notable then that Albion College’s newspaper was originally called The American Peloponnesus.

It is notable that at the beginning of Albion College’s newspaper, the paper was only published once a month.  Later though it did move to a weekly publication.

America’s natural beauty is believed to be the resting place of the lost Pleiad, according to MacInnes.

MacInnes adds the lost Pleiad represents truth.  It is well known that most newspapers strive to be honest, accurate, unbiased, or truthful, so it fitting that The Pleiad has such a name.

There is a definite connection between the Americas, or the resting ground of the lost Pleiad, and the Greek peninsula, Peloponnesus.  Though it is not is not completely conclusive, that connection serves as a clue to the origin of The Pleiad’s name. Though the reasoning behind the name of Albion College’s Pleiad is not certain, the story of the lost Pleiad surely provides an insight into the mystery.

As for now, the current Pleiad staff continues to chase the star of the missing Pleiad.