In a move that some say fortells the demise of AU campus newspaper The Eagle, newspaper staffers have neglected to wait until April 1 to print their annual April Fool's Day edition. The parody edition will instead hit newsstands March 31.
Though Eagle staffers could not be reached for comment, sources indicate that editors of the paper have been stuck in their windowless office working for the last several months, and have lost track of when one day starts and the next begins. This is said to be the cause of April Fool's-Gate.
Former Eagle Editor in Chief Godd Annelasky, who left the paper less than a month ago, said she was glad to get out while she could.
"Now I can get a real journalism job, like maybe fetching coffee for staff writers at The Examiner," she said, while shielding her eyes from the sunlight.
For decades, The Eagle has annually put out a special April Fool's Day section of their paper, filled with parody stories about campus and Washington, D.C. Because this year's version comes out before April 1, critics are unsure whether Eagle readers will realize what they're reading is parody.
"As we all know, Eagle readers aren't exactly the smartest kids on campus," SOC professor Pat Nealison said. "These are the students who can't even figure out how to get online to access serious campus news sources."
"These poor readers are liable to see the Eagle and actually believe that the National Guard stormed the SIS building, or that AU administration cut three varsity sports teams," Nealison added.
