Not only were they brilliant writers and great editorial leaders, they also succeeded every year in fielding an excellent drinking team for the annual Bacchus festival; which of course featured the Carillon Hotel Inspection Tour, or CHIT.

Many contestants were primed and, if you will, trained for CHIT success during the weekly infamous Pub Nights held every Thursday in the venerable Student Union building, at which Sandy Monteith reigned supreme.

During the 1990s, The Carillon was maintained by a dedicated group of writers and editors who believed in the newspaper’s founding socialist principle of governance by a collective of contributors, and the importance of freedom of the press.

Notable “Carillon” alumni from the ‘90s include Tanya Birkbeck, Merelda Fiddler, Bonnie Allen, and Jen Quesnel, all journalists on air with CBC Radio.

In the wake of a controversial article that was intended to be satirical (some found sexist and offensive) a small, vocal group of student activists protested against the Carillon and attempted to put forward a series of motions at the annual general meeting that directed editorial content and dismiss staff members.

Calls for further accountability of the paper and checks and balances on the authority of the Editor in Chief led to a reorganization of the Carillon board of directors and a redrafting of the constitution to meet the demands of the activists.

As a result, the Carillon hiring process is no longer "a goddamn popularity contest" but a streamlined event that judges candidates based on experience and previous involvement at the paper.

An aggressive data mining campaign by the Carillon and its advertising partner Campus Plus has created a strong base of knowledge about university student consumer habits.

Many businesses are attracted to the newspaper for its loyal readership, low advertising rates, and the fact that university students tend to be well-educated, affluent consumers of luxury goods like cars, clothing and alcohol.

The board reviews the financial statements, approves spending, mandates duties of staff, enforces the constitution and acts as a communication conduit between URSU and other university bodies.