As we first reported earlier today, the editors-in-chief of the YU Beacon, the most daring of Yeshiva University’s three (!) student newspapers met at 5 p.m. with a group of YU administrators. The administrators were threatening to cut off the Beacon’s funding in response to an article about a sexual encounter published by the Beacon.
“We are no longer a part of YU,” Simi Lampert, co-editor-in-chief of the Beacon told me moments after the meeting ended.
The group of administrators included University Dean of Students Victor Schwartz. Schwartz could not be reached for comment at this hour, but hopefully we’ll have a few more updates tomorrow.
“They tried to emphasize that they did not want to lose us as a YU publication, that they valued us, but if we put the article back online as it was, they couldn’t keep us as a publication,” she said.
According to Lampert, YU and the Beacon parted ways on good terms. “No one is upset. This is how it has to be for everyone to be happy,” she said.
The Beacon is an online-only publication, so their absolute budgetary needs are modest: Lampert said that $150 is all it takes for the Beacon to stay online for an entire year. Before tonight’s split, Lampert said, the Beacon received up to $500 per semester from YU, depending on actual expenses.
