The Federalist Paper stands — or, rather, marches — in solidarity with the Columbia University Marching Band (CUMB), our brothers and sisters in satire. Their loss of funding is not merely the newest slap-in-the-face to the idea of students actually enjoying themselves on campus, but the culmination of the administration’s attempt to stamp out anything unique, interesting, or remotely subversive within the student body.
It wasn’t always like this. Postcrypt Coffeehouse used to serve beer, and hence hold concerts people actually attended; fraternities used to hold parties without fear of losing recognition; Bacchanal used to actually be good. And every year, the Columbia Marching Band lightened our spirits: teasing the administration, supporting our athletic teams at their best and at their worst, and reminding us that Butler isn’t the worst place in the world on Orgo Night.
Columbia’s so-called “War on Fun” may have started over a decade ago, but it isn’t over. This is a fight for Columbia’s soul — if we remove all the traditions that make us who we are, or sanitize them past recognition, this institution will be forever changed for the worse. If the administration is alright with that, fine: it is up to us, the students, to remind them who we are, and why we choose to be here. We call on all of our readers, and on the entire student body, to demand that The Marching Band’s funding be restored.
— The Joint Editorial and Governing Boards of The Columbia Federalist
Alexander Horn and Luis Vera, Editors-in-Chief
Joseph Baer, Managing Editor
Annie Iezzi and Samuel Millner, Head Submissions Editors
Benjamin Most and Ani Wilcenski, Senior Editors
Augusta Owens, Layout Editor
Jaysen Zhang, Graphics Editor
Nikhil Mehta, Online Editor
Matthew Nola, Phillip Ruddy, Nurasyl Shokeyev and Wesley Schmidt, Submissions Editors
