Quick Takes

Many campus papers mark April Fool's Day by publishing joke issues. Some of this year's selections focus on the frugality trends evident at many campuses dealing with the economic downturn. Student Life of Washington University in St. Louis covers a new "Behind Bars" economy food option of bread and water, with three variations available at different price levels: probation, life sentence and electric chair. The Cornell Daily Sun embraces the move in the journalism industry to shrink -- and announces a plan to replace full newspaper articles with Twitter. On non-economic topics, The Hatchet of George Washington University plays with the (real) news that Rahm Emanuel will be the commencement speaker this year. In its joke issue, the Hatchet reveals a leaked copy of draft of Emanuel's obscenity-laden speech, along with some suggested edits from university administrators. Washington Square News is having fun with the New York University students who recently took over a cafeteria and issued a long list of demands, including the release of details on the university budget. The News reports that the university finally caved and released the full budget, only to have those protesting find "nothing sketchy." The budget provided to the protesters featured such major spending categories as love, corporate water, condoms for resident assistants, and hugs 'n' snuggles.