Due to complaints from the president’s office and the Board of Trustees, The Lawrentian’s annual April Fools’ issue has been cancelled.
Citing pressure from campus authorities, Lawrentian Editor in Chief Corey Lehnert told the staff of the campus newspaper over spring break that the traditional Onion-like parody issue was being nixed.
“I guess the administration felt that the articles were too over-the-top last year and asked us not to do it again this year. I don’t know, I thought they were pretty funny, you know?” Lehnert said.
Instead of the fake issue, this week’s Lawrentian will be in its normal format, reporting in an unbiased way important issues on campus in a wide variety of areas, including arts and entertainment, features and sports.
Former Lawrentian Editor in Chief and longtime contributor to the April Fools’ issue Peter Gillette was not happy with the university’s decision.
“The Lawrence community has become more and more censored since I graduated. I guess this is just one another example of Jill Beck imposing her oppressive will.”
Despite protests from Lawrentian editors and LU students, Lehnert emphasized that the decision was made due to legal pressures as well as moral ones.
In the past, the April Fools’ issue has been met with threats of lawsuits, specifically in reference to a joke about the sexuality of a member of the Lawrence athletic department.
“We really just didn’t want to risk getting into more trouble,” said Lehnert, “We’ve been cutting it close these past few years and we decided that it was more important to provide the Lawrence campus with the news that it has come to trust than to make a scant few people laugh. I’m comfortable in the decision, and I hope students understand.
April Fools’ issue cancelled
