CUSJ-Jester Feud
In 2007, a bizarre conflict developed between the Jester, a campus humor magazine, and the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal. The feud initially played out in the comments pages of the Bwog, wherein members of the respective organizations posted angry, insulting, and occasionally threatening messages about the other publication. The root cause of the fight is not known by the public at large.
The fight escalated when members of the CUSJ altered the Jester Wikipedia enrty, claiming the group promoted "lackluster understanding of particle physics, frequent misrepresentations of string theory, and fervent hatred toward America." After all, they assert, "who wants a lusterful understanding of particle physics?" They also added Jester to the group of internationally recognized terrorist organizations. This vandalism was covered on the Bwog.
In rebuttal, Jester writers edited their Wikipedia page to claim that they have a "brilliant understanding of particle physics," make frequently correct representations of string theory, and mount a "fervent defense of America against the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal." Jester also likes to mock CUSJ for taking a 1906 piece in the Jester about the non-existence of the ether seriously.
In April of that year, members of CUSJ stole 700+ copies of Jester, distributing them around campus days later with a manifesto alleging that Jester "promotes scientific fallacies". The manifesto then referred to a website, [www.jesterlackssoundscience.com Jester Lacks Sound Science], which presents a rambling and incoherent argument claiming that Jester is responsible for egregious crimes against science. It also suggests that Jester is profiting from the Iraq war, is responsible for the September 11th attacks, aided in the proliferation of aspartame, manipulates the Dow Jones Industrial Average, implants evil devices into newborns, in addition to a number of more difficult to decipher claims. The website has been dismissed as thoroughly insane.
