On The Macaroon’s Recent Coverage
By Evan Bernstein
Nov. 16, 2014
The Chicago Macaroon has existed since the University of Chicago’s founding in 1892, and has in that time broken some tremendous stories. Ranging from pieces on the University’s administration to local events in Hyde Park, The Macaroon’s coverage has been comprehensive and relevant, keeping students up to date on campus news.
Being the student body’s main source of information bestows upon The Macaroon a great deal of responsibility. Although they do not take this responsibility lightly, it is my opinion that The Macaroon does not always live up to these standards. Recently, their coverage has lacked the authority and gravitas it once proudly displayed. Honestly, it just feels like The Macaroon has had the starch taken out of it.
The Chicago Macaroon is a respectable publication that has long prided itself on frank and staunch reportage, as well as dedication to the cause of student journalism, but it has lately lacked the zest and tang that once characterized the more-than-a-century-old publication. For example, The Macaroon’s recent coverage on StipendGate (UChicago Student Government’s biggest scandal this year) was factual and informative. Somehow, though, it just didn’t seem like it had been crafted with care by a pastry chef trained in France.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good issue of The Macaroon. But in recent years, it’s just seemed a little dry. I know that news is not always sexy, and I know that facts are not always delicious, but even the dullest of events can be given a splash of flavor. Just a hint of editorialization could really spice up the delicacy that is the news of our times. Even a tinge of moral authority, or perhaps raspberry cream in their body paragraphs, could make The Macaroon that much more palatable.
Not everybody is a fan of The Macaroon. Some students are of the opinion that the paper is just too nutty. While I do believe that those students are missing out, I understand their frustration. If The Macaroon doesn’t do something soon to whip up a more desirable reading experience, it’s going to go the way of failed University publications like The Daily Heath Bar and Good Morning Hamentash.
