A message from UTB Editor-in-Chief, Megan Striff-Cave

Hello all! My name is Megan Striff-Cave, and I am the Editor-in-Chief of Under the Button, Penn’s only (intentionally satirical) publication. At the satire branch of the Daily Pennsylvanian Inc., we are focused on pointing out the absurdities of everyday life here at the University of Pennsylvania, of which there are many. Our vision has always been twofold – to make people laugh, but to also make people pay attention. UTB’s articles are sometimes silly, sometimes more sophisticated (okay, imagine typing this with a chic French bob and red lipstick) and always observationally astute. We’ve moved away from a set “house style,” in favor of letting our writers have more creative autonomy. Of course, we still have quality standards and guidelines our writers follow but allowing them to play around with tone and structure has allowed each writer to develop their own voice, which means UTB appeals to so many different types of people at Penn. While we like to comment on silly things, we don’t shy away from the serious, either. The wonderful thing about satire is that it can force people to look at issues from different perspectives. Sometimes, people will ignore a boring news article (Jonah isn’t reading this, is he?) about another problem on Penn’s campus but may be more receptive to a humorous piece poking fun at the issue. We’ve commented on everything from minor, frustrating issues with the school to systemic problems with campus culture. UTB is a real engine for change (and we are incredibly humble, too…) As the media landscape changes, UTB is hoping to focus on a pitching and publishing process that is quicker and more responsive to the news as it happens. We’re also expanding our digital presence to mimic what sites like Reductress and the Onion have accomplished on platforms like Instagram and soon, Twitter. Expanding our video department to create 2-3 polished videos each semester is our goal for next semester, as well as our physical Joke Issue that comes out in April. For the first time, we are also doing a tabloid insert in the final edition of the DP in the fall semester – our writers are of course incredibly vain, and love to see their names in print. UTB has been raking in the views (once we added our writer’s profile pictures to the website), and we are excited for the projects we are taking on! I hope we are making you laugh.

“The wonderful thing about satire is that it can force people to look at issues from different perspectives. ”