The Downfall of Bandersnatch

By Sophia Zhang
Editor-in-Chief

Yes, Bandersnatch has an online presence, but does anyone at John Abbott actually know that? From my conversations with people about the student newspaper, it seems to “exist” only when it is in print, as a physical thing that they can hold and interact with. I think most people can agree that the physical newspapers spotted in the stands in the college during the Fall 2024 semester were remarkable. So, how does a newspaper go from being decently known to being buried on a website most people don’t bother to check?

Before last fall, most students (including me) did not know the school had a newspaper. Despite its decades of history and the extensive archive of old issues, since the digital transition, the cultural relevance of the newspaper had been at an all-time low. When Yugi Reyes joined the newspaper’s editorial team during the 2023-2024 academic year, he saw the newspaper at its worst (in terms of collegial presence). Bandersnatch did not work digitally previously because it was published sporadically on a platform other than the official bandersnatch.ca website and because of the lack of publicity around the college. Thus, when it came time to change leadership, and Yugi agreed to take on the mantle of Editor-in-Chief, he wanted to bring back printed issues, at whatever cost.

Last fall, we were able to release four physical issues. Bandersnatch became a tangible thing for the first time in years. Students now knew that John Abbott had a student newspaper. They picked it up , discussed it in class, read it, and did the famous puzzles. During this time, I was an editor for the Literature section. However, at the end of last semester, we found out, somewhat randomly from our Editor-in-Chief, that we had no money and were “broke.” It turned out that Yugi overestimated our budget, and in our enthusiasm, we had significantly overspent for the academic year. Faced with our budget miscalculation, the SAC (the student association in charge of club financial matters) asked us to publish two digital issues before reconsidering additional funding. Their decision also aligned with the college’s push for sustainability.

Part of the SAC’s reasoning for denying our request for more funds was the college’s move towards a more sustainable path, which included having Bandersnatch consider publishing digitally to lessen the environmental tolls accompanying a printed newspaper. When I took over for Yugi at the start of the Winter 2025 semester, we did as they asked and started to publish our first two issues digitally. While we still believe a physical newspaper is crucial at John Abbott, we recognize our responsibility in addressing the climate crisis. We’re committing to a hybrid model: half digital, half print. We hope to be able to have our next two issues printed. Moving forward, we will aim for a bi-weekly schedule, alternating between digital and print—ensuring Bandersnatch remains both visible and sustainable.