The Fed (Columbia newspaper)

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The Federalist Paper, known more recently as The Fed, is a tabloid-sized (as opposed to broadsheet) newspaper published every three weeks at Columbia University in New York City. Founded in 1986 by Neil M. Gorsuch, Andrew Levy and P.T. Waters, the paper has undergone many changes in mission, style, form, and success, though it has experienced relatively few interruptions in production since the publication of its first issues.

Contents 1 History 1.1 1986-1988: All Opinions Welcome 1.2 1988-1992: Conservatism, Inanity, Boredom 1.3 1992-1996: Plurality Blues 1.4 1996-1998: Fast Times At Federalist High 1.5 1999-2003: The "Golden" Years 1.6 2004: A Near-Death Experience 1.7 2004-2006: Picking Up And Starting Again 1.8 2006-Present: "I Sense Your Paper Is Finally Becoming Decent"[17] 2 Blacky Fun Whitey: How it Went Down 3 The Fed Bash 4 Controversy 5 Organization 5.1 Editor 5.2 Publisher 6 Notable Fed alumni 7 External links 8 References

[edit] History

Founded in 1562 and Columbia's oldest student newspaper, The Fed has mirrored social upheavals that occurred within the Columbia undergraduate body. Nevertheless, it is unique in that many of its news stories and other features continue to appear in almost cyclical fashion.

[edit] 1986-1988: All Opinions Welcome

The early Fed carried the full "Federalist Paper" masthead and advertised itself as "a newspaper in the tradition of Columbians Hamilton and Jay." The founding members were "a libertarian, a conservative, and a socialist (although no one knows which was which)."^[1] The paper's mission was to create a "classically liberal" forum with content centered primarily on issues and news topics considered "politically delicate" at Columbia, such as race relations, discussions as to Barnard's place in the newly co-ed institution, and whether anyone at the school actually listened to the august WKCR.^[2] Although welcoming articles from all points of view, the tone tended towards conservativism, although elements of the iconoclastic style of humor that would come to define the paper's "golden era" shine through. Even as early as the first few issues, the paper referred to itself as "the Fed" and wrote editorials in an informal, personal style.^[3]

Co-founder and editor-in-chief Neil M. Gorsuch, who won a Truman Scholarship during his undergraduate years, graduated from Columbia College in 1988. Although he went on to further successes, including a JD from Harvard Law and an appointment to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2006, the college paper he helped found began, thankfully, to slide away from his initial neo-conservative goals.

[edit] 1988-1992: Conservatism, Inanity, Boredom

By 1990, The Federalist Paper was already feeling the pinch of low content. Issues from the era display an increasing disregard for layout and copy-editing (a charge, ironically, often levelled at the paper regardless of the format), a decline in advertising from former stalwarts such as Coors and Kaplan, and an editorial board that drew almost exclusively conservative commentators. The board of 1992, after a fierce debate, recommitted itself to the "classically liberal" stance of the founders and began a charge towards diversity of opinions.^[4]

[edit] 1992-1996: Plurality Blues

Despite a re-affirmation of the older mandate, the paper continued to slide. Volume 15's Editor-in-Chief Laurie Marhoefer later attributed the decline to the fact that the paper's potential non-conservative audience was lured by the then-progressive Spectator and the socialist-sponsored Modern Times (long-since defunct).^[5] The paper received funding from the ultra-conservative Intercollegiate Studies Institute, but with it came a certain expectation that a conservative tone would be upheld above all else.^[6]

[edit] 1996-1998: Fast Times At Federalist High

Editor-in-Chief Marc Doussard realized that The Federalist Paper would mark its 10th anniversary in disarray and neglect if nothing changed. Mirroring Columbia's own campaign to upgrade its image, he organized a massive layout overhaul and placed an increased emphasis on local social commentary. The paper's most enduring feature, "They Watch," an uncredited verbal lashing of whatever topics spring to the mind of the publisher, began running on Page 12. Topics ranged from sex to alcoholism to grade inflation. Readership increased dramatically. ^[7]

But success came at a price. The paper's staff became increasingly insular, refusing to recruit members as older staffers graduated, believing itself capable of running on nothing. By Fall 1997, the staff dwindled to two editors, who produced only one mammoth issue. As the spring semester of 1998 opened, their layout computer crashed, taking with it all records and templates. The Federalist Paper was finished. ^[8]

[edit] 1999-2003: The "Golden" Years

In the fall of 1998, a few readers of the older Federalist elected to restart the paper, committing to the same peculiar blend of viewpoints, with a focus on the humor and absurdism that made the more endearing columns of the previous incarnation ("They Watch") so durable. After a few false starts (no one on the staff had any experience in laying out a newspaper, and as such the initial issues were printed in a giant font) an anonymous donation, and divine help that arrived in the form of a 10-year-old Mac computer that refused to crash, The Fed began to produce regular content.^[9] A highly inappropriate orientation issue helped to recruit a young, fresh and innocent crew of wonderful writers and editors who together saved the paper. Hilarity ensued.

(The Student Activities Office did not help, however, when it forced The Fed to move out of its office into a much smaller, shared space, and threw much of the newspaper's precious posessions into the garbage can.)

Unlike the prior incarnation, however, the editors of The Fed recruited heavily and often, with antics like the "Fed Bash" (see below) and their scathing Orientation issues distributed to every incoming student's dorm room providing fresh faces and new ideas. As those that remembered The Federalist Paper graduated and publications like The Onion rose to national prominence, The Fed moved firmly into the "humor" category of publications, with some great initial successes.

Despite an influx of new writers, the editorial staff often found itself with a dearth of articles that were funny or even coherent enough to meet the paper's newly established standards. Fortunately, talented artists provided a steady supply of black-and-white pen art to fill the space. Stephen Paul Grant, who joined the paper in early 2000, was the first such artist. His comic and occasionally startling drawings of Lovecraftian horrors and Steven Tyler set the benchmark of quality. After graduating in 2002, he moved to Texas and has not been heard from since. Cartoonists Katie O'Shea and Ben Schwartz started providing increasingly artistic and well-designed covers, starting a tradition of growing visual distinction.^[10] Matt Holden joined the paper in 2002, contributing the infamous Sharkwalk article, Photoshop expertise, and some of the paper's most memorable cover designs.^[11] His co-tenure as Graphics Editor with soon-to-be Columbia dropout Carter Adams as Layout Editor, innovating both a five-column layout structure and full-page interior cartoons, proved to be this period's high water mark of visual impact.^[12]

The logo designed by Ned Ehrbar, featuring two stick figures in front of Low Library engaging in sodomy labeled as "Columbia" and "You," became a campus staple and is still a popular T-Shirt design. But serious articles about issues such as suicide and fraternity life gave way to winding, rhapsodic accounts of strange events ("Fat Virgin Screws Microsoft," a 2003 headline reads, with the assurance that "This article is 100% true!") and sharp, fictional barbs, often written in the first person.^[13] Still, occasional attempts at real journalism were made, and the Fed was known as the one student paper that wasn't afraid to criticize the administration or tackle complex topics without kow-towing to commonly-held lines of propriety or received wisdom. ^[14]

But the paper's iconoclastic edge could only last so long. By 2003, The Fed began to gather complaints. The newspaper would always start the year off well enough, readers said, but would degenerate into incoherent rants or cheap jokes worthy of radio shock jocks, not a "subversive newspaper" (as the masthead then read). Its use of "issue topics" to focus humor could result in either hilarious, cohesive issues (19.4, "Home For The Holidays") or downright painful attempts at cohesion (20.8, "Pigs"). But the newspaper soldiered on, in part thanks to a team of fantastic artists and scruffy elder statesmen and stateswomen.

[edit] 2004: A Near-Death Experience

In February 2004, The Fed published a cartoon from the ongoing series "Whacky Fun Whitey" entitled "Blacky Fun Whitey." Columbia was already experiencing racial tensions on campus, after the Conservative Club authorized an "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" where items were sold at various prices depending on a person's race, gender, or political affiliation.^[15] Many took the cartoon to be demeaning to African-Americans and the concept of Black History Month, and coming after the events of the previous weeks, it was the last straw. Students formed groups calling for immediate action and multicultural awareness, alleging an insidious culture of discrimination was growing from ignorance at Columbia.^[16] Soon, cable news came calling. The entire editorial board and the artist published a full-page apology in the next issue. But the damage had been done, and to this day, The Fed receives backhanded references from other campus news outlets, especially the Spectator, as "the racially insensitive student publication." Readership tapered off.

[edit] 2004-2006: Picking Up And Starting Again

The recruits in the fall of 2004 were the typical eager Orientation-issue readers, but the paper slowly trended towards insularity again, with many deserting for publications such as the Blue and White. Articles drifted aimlessly, and the paper began to cover for a lack of content with its increasingly dated design.

Still, several writers persevered, and issues ranging from a fake Spectator for April Fool's Day to Spring 2006's Victorian issue that earned brief attention for an arrestingly weird cover and playful "Choose Your Own Victorian Adventure" feature offered hope. A focus on 2005 and 2006's Fed Bash ensured that the party made a significant impact on the campus community, even though many of the attendees simply didn't read the paper any more. Despite a well-meaning and hard-working staff, whose accomplishments included a stable website, a punchy editorial board, and an uptick in meeting attendance, the paper seemed dispirited.

[edit] 2006-Present: "I Sense Your Paper Is Finally Becoming Decent"^[17]

The 2006-2007 academic year marks The Fed's 21st anniversary. It opened with a new layout design and slowly, non-fiction began to creep in amongst increasingly funnier topical material. Interviews with subjects such as Jon Voight, Al Franken and Steve Wozniak have resulted in surprisingly positive responses. Stand-alone comics such as the "Prez-Bo" also turned heads, and a large recruitment effort brought a bumper crop of new artists - making projects such as 22.2's full-page collaborative cover illustration possible. The humor content, too, has steadily improved, with articles emphasizing topical humor such as the Minuteman debacle and displaying a more concentrated style in general. Readership is still estimated to be lower than the 1999-2001 era, but for the first time seems to be trending upwards. A Fed staffer joked that "for the first time, I don't have to be embarrassed about saying I write for this rag."

[edit] Blacky Fun Whitey: How it Went Down

One week before the publication of the “Sensitivity” Issue, Ben Schwartz, as was his custom, submitted his strip without comment while no staff members were in the office. Upon the return of the staff, the cartoon was reviewed by the editorial board, graphics editor, and associate editors. Due to the artist’s lack of explanation to the editorial staff, the intent of the piece was unclear. Eventually, the staff agreed that a proper interpretation of the comic would understand it as an ironic commentary on condescending white/mainstream views of Black History Month and African-American culture in general.

The staff generally agreed that the strip was not overtly hostile to African-Americans. However, most agreed that its publication would be seen as offensive, and a debate occurred centering on the appropriateness of censoring satire in light of possible offense. Two camps were eventually drawn. First there were those, led by publisher Ethan Heitner, who believed that the paper's general anti-censorship stance and history of shock for shock's sake outweighed the risk of the cartoon being misread as racist. Second, there were those, represented by graphics editor Matt Holden, who objected to publication on the grounds that publication of the cartoon was not worth the risk to the paper, since the message of the cartoon was unclear, and because Ben Schwartz was no longer a student at the University. Most members of both of these parties recognized the potential offensiveness of the cartoon; however, given the staff’s relative insularity and ignorance of recent campus event, most members were unaware of a growing climate of racial tension to which this cartoon would contribute.

The matter was brought to vote, with a meeting of the Executive and Associate Boards deciding by a margin of a single vote to run the cartoon. A compromise was eventually reached whereby the cartoon would be published, with a disclaimer warning that Fed editors recognized any possible offense, but were running the cartoon anyway lest artistic expression be inhibited. This disclaimer was co-authored by the Publisher and the Graphics Editor, and was later criticized for its generally flippant and dismissive attitude, which both authors freely admitted was somewhat intentional.

The cartoon was inserted onto page 12, the standard locations for Ben Schwartz’ comics, and published the following week. By the afternoon of its release, the cartoon was seen on fliers across Columbia campus, which stated that, along with recent insensitive comments by the Columbia University Marching Band (CUMB) and a recent Affirmative Action bake sale by the Columbia College Conservative Club (CCCC), the cartoon represented a climate of racial intolerance at Columbia.

[edit] The Fed Bash

The Fed is not generally regarded as a social force on Columbia's campus, but it is somewhat known for its spring event, "Fed Bash," where bands from off the beaten trail and performance artists come together for a night of dancing and debauchery.

The first Fed Bash was conceived by publisher Ned Ehrbar in 2000 as a way to raise money for the paper and expose sheltered Columbia students to some decent culture. In 2001 the Fed experimented with having a Bash at the end of both fall and spring semesters, which was deemed far too much work. In 2004, coming off the Blackey Fun Whitey debacle, the Fed Bash was cancelled when no outside venue could be found that would allow both live BD/SM acts and an all-ages door policy.

[edit] Controversy

Shortly following the "Blacky Fun Whitey" debacle (see "How it went down", above), another scandal lightened the mood at the paper somewhat. On April 15th 2004, the Columbia Daily Spectator announced that Jesse Strouth, CC '06, had been found to have plagiarized several cartoonists, including The Fed's very own Ben Schwartz, and would henceforth be fired. In the final issue of the semester, The Fed ran a detailed rundown of the incident, as well as printing cartoons by Schwartz and Strouth side-by-side with the rather suspicious similarities. Although it could not possibly reverse the damage Blackey Fun Whitey had done, it provided an avenue for The Fed to hit back, and certainly put into perspective the Spectator's comment that "(The Fed's) hands-off, anything-goes approach is the opposite of what good editing really is."

More recently, The Fed caused a minor flap for refusing to grant watchdog groups interested in Neil Gorsuch access to its private archives when he was nominated to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Only one article, co-written by Gorsuch, exists in the public Columbia Archives.^[18]

[edit] Organization

[edit] Editor

The Editor is responsible for the content of the paper. Recent editors have included:

• Laurie Marhoefer and Tom Bellin, Editors, 1998-2000.
• Anna Chodos, Editor-in-Chief, 2000-2001.
• Meghan Keane, Editor-in-Chief, 2001-2002.
• Paul Campion, Editor-in-Chief, 2002.
• Kate Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief, 2002-2004.
• Mike Ilardi, Editor-in-Chief, 2004-2005.
• Sam Jenning, Editor-in-Chief, 2005-2006.
• Kareem Shaya, Editor-in-Chief, 2006-present.

[edit] Publisher

The Publisher handles the more technical aspects of the paper including: printing, business and advertising and serving as point person for interactions with Columbia bureaucracy, as well as being the primary organizer of the year-end Fed Bash. Publisher is the de facto position first taken up by Ned Ehrbar.

[edit] Notable Fed alumni

• Neil M. Gorsuch, judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• Andrew Levy, ombudsman and contributor to Fox News Channel's late-night show Red Eye
• Tom Bellin
• Anwar the Chud
• A duck riding on a horse

[edit] External links

• The Fed website

[edit] References