I love satire. Nothing else seems to be able to get a point across as well, criticize society as severely with such a good disposition, or be as witty as good satire. It takes a rare, admirable quality which really can't be acquired, only improved, to write satirically. Speaking contemporarily, there are some episodes of South Park or the Colbert Report that are pure genius and beg to be shared. Written works of satire can be even funnier.
But forget The Onion. The New England Classic, Boston College's satirical newspaper, does it just as well, or better, and the hilarity applies to every student here. It gives a fun and unique outlook on things that students see every day. Sometimes it says what everyone's thinking but won't say, other times it comes out with articles so absurd that only this small group of talented writers could have thought of it. When you consider the fact that it's a small operation and unfunded by BC (something for which we should all be thankful, as only the most down-to-earth administration could support a satirical publication this outrageous and uncompromising), the talent in The New England Classic is even more astonishing. I only discovered it this year, an embarrassing misfortune, but I'm already a huge fan.
The medium of the Classic is the first thing you notice about it and one of its coolest attributes - just a simple piece of paper without any flash. It's the articles that count and each one is gold. Every time I pick up a copy I wish it were two or three times as big, but I have to wait until the next issue. The distribution is stealthy - editions pop out of thin air and onto stacks of The Heights in dining halls or are passed around dorms. You almost forget about it in the wake of The Heights and The Observer. Then one day, without warning (though they do have a Facebook group that provides some news), the white sheets are floating around campus and there's a rush of excitement to get one.
The articles and cartoons are brilliant. I find a lot of today's humor forced and stupid, but The New England Classic seems to strike a perfect balance between ludicrous "news" and sneaky, witty comments about the state of BC. Each issue that I've seen has had at least a few laugh-out-loud gems. One box in an article listed "10 ways to know you're a freshman," nine of which were obvious statements like "It is your first year in college." The last was "Trays." I was shocked by the wit as I imagined myself as an oblivious freshman walking into McElroy and grabbing a tray. Another piece reduced freshmen to animals and wrote about their interactions like a National Geographic magazine would. Little sparks of genius like those reflect insight that is unique to the Classic and make every issue worth a thorough read.
I think the New England Classic is a huge testament to the student body's (and of course its writers') intelligence and creativity. It's quite refreshing to know there is a sense of humor here and that there are students who take up an activity just for the fun of it, not because it's a potential resume-booster. These students use their time to do something enjoyable which benefits the whole school. So, to The New England Classic: Thanks for publishing and stay sharp.
Tyler Hughes is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at thughes@bcheights.com.
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