Due to recent controversy over The Spectrum leaning too far towards the liberal side, George Zornick, editor in chief of the paper, announced his staff is going to join forces with the College Republicans to create a bi-monthly, non-biased magazine, The Spectillar.
The Spectillar will combine ideas from both The Spectrum and the sole issue of the Pillar, and Zornick said he hopes it will win him over some fans from the Republican community at UB.
"I know the idea may seem a little weird at first, especially coming from me, but I've been re-evaluating my life, and this seems like step one to making me a better person," Zornick said. "As soon as the College Republicans put out The Pillar, it was like a light switch went on in my head - I can't wait for this paper to fail so I can steal this idea, change it, add some Democratic views, and make it better."
Zornick, who has received over 3,000 complaints about his overly liberal tactics and columns in The Spectrum, said the majority of his decision was based on the negative responses he continues to receive from the student body.
"I can't even walk down the halls anymore without someone either yelling out obscenities, or trying to pants me. It's getting ridiculous," Zornick said. "I'm hoping by trying to balance out my viewpoints in this bi-monthly magazine, people will stop with the hate mail."
In a desperate attempt to save his own reputation, and that of The Spectrum, Zornick said he will work with Matthew Pelkey, president of the College Republicans to mesh the ideas of the Pillar and The Spectrum for the magazine.
"All that was lacking from The Pillar was some solid Democratic views, page design skills, spell-checking, fact-checking, real authors, accurate headlines and advertisements," Zornick said.
Pelkey, who is going to fill the managing editor position of The Spectillar, said he's happy Zornick finally came to his senses.
"Can you blame him? Kerry went down, and Zornick felt like he was on the same track," Pelkey said. "As long as he really works on making this a publication that upholds Republican views as well as his own, I think we've got a solid idea to work with."
Pelkey said he agreed to working with Zornick on this project because alone, he couldn't make the Pillar what he wanted it to be.
"Not that I'm softening up and becoming a Democrat by any means, but I will try to work with Zornick to make this magazine a solid publication with equal viewpoints," Pelkey said. "Plus, I sort of lost some respect for my political party after I watched Ann Coulter come to UB in her Friday night's finest attire. I mean really, what was that? Was she planning on working the corner after the debate? I just didn't understand."
Zornick, however, said Coulter might have had a slight influence on his change of heart.
After a March 2 column Zornick wrote that bashed Ann Coulter, a right-winged political pundit and her tactics, Coulter personally approached him after her Distinguished Speakers series visit to UB on March 10.
"Yeah, Ann approached me to talk about what my problem was with her," Zornick said. "It was crowded and noisy though in Alumni, so I suggested we take the convo to somewhere a little more private - like my bedroom."
"We worked out our differences," Zornick added with a wink.
As for Zornick's change of heart politically and not-so-professionally, he said he is excited to lay out the groundwork with Pelkey for the first issue of The Spectillar.
"We're hoping to have our first issue out on April 29," Zornick said. "I want to publish on a Friday, that way, if it comes out horrible, at least not as many people will see it."
Although Pelkey said he doesn't ever plan to print another issue of The Pillar, Zornick said The Spectrum will continue to print thrice-weekly, and the addition of the bi-monthly Spectillar, is just an "added bonus."
