Letter from the Editor, March 2017

by Alex Swanson

There’s a particular sense of dejection on campus around midterms. I myself write this, sleep deprived, writing-hand in partial spasms, and ready for a vacation to a sunny island where I can instagram my future happiness. Speaking of which, stay tuned for the new Blue and White “Bwinstagram” coming soon – it promises to be bwlit. But back to the campus atmosphere, explore on page twenty-two whether Columbia’s infamous “stress culture” is fact or fiction, and see how Columbia is endeavoring to combat student depression. At the Blue and White, we pride ourselves on taking the time to properly investigate pressing issues on campus, exploring all sides of the debate, even if that debate is as simple as “U up?” (see page ten). We, unlike other campus news publications, do not rely on rogue and unreliable statistics (see page ve); we rather rely on the commitment and impartiality of our writers – which is why you should all come and write for us. Indeed, our assembled collection of writing styles and unique personalities almost rivals the world’s largest collection of E.T. memorabilia (see our Conversation on page twenty-six). This issue is the first which will have been entirely curated by the new staff of this magazine. In proper Blue and White fashion, we have kept the contents suitably zeitgeisty. We explore the nuances in the debate surrounding micro-aggressions on page sixteen, and we look into the possibilities of a cut of Columbia University Medical Center’s federal funding on page twenty-two. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the fruits of our labor. As always, reach out to bweditors@columbia.edu if you’d like to come and write for us!