In 1976, The Point staff published controversial work that ultimately resulted in the university’s administration shutting it down. To challenge this and persevere with their dedication to truth and educating the community, the staff started an underground newspaper called “The Blunt.” To honor their legacy, some of the original staff members, particularly Michael Christensen, who was the editor-in-chief at the time, created The Blunt Scholarship to financially support bold journalists in their work on campus for years to come, and add them to the society that is the Bluntees, which now has over 25 members.
The scholarship, which requires a grade point average of at least 3.5, two letters of recommendation, an essay and a published sample of their writing, is to support witty, gifted and idealistic students with a radical edge who write and publish their work, according to the application.
Bluntees that are still around campus are Reyna Huff, The Point’s copy editor, who was awarded the scholarship in 2023 and Steve Anderson, the opinion editor, in 2024. Some returned to the campus as professors: The first Bluntee, Abby Hamblin, an adjunct journalism professor, and Jordan Hill, who teaches ENG 3065: Professional Writing.
The newest Bluntee is Sydney Brammer, a third-year journalism major, who is passionate about uncovering truth, bringing clarity to misinformation and telling the stories of those who often fly under the radar. She served as The Point’s features editor, where she wrote about issues of sustainability and disability access on campus and will be editor-in-chief for the 2025-26 year. She was the Times of San Diego’s first Newswell intern in the fall of 2024 and has won awards from the Evangelical Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. She is interested in pursuing business and investigative journalism when she graduates, but most importantly, hopes to bring justice to the unheard and hold those in authority to account.
She will be interning at Hawaii News Now in Honolulu, HI, through the Dow Jones News Fund Program this summer.
Sydney Brammer