In Spring 2007, The Current became Columbia’s first “green” publication, printing on FSC-certified paper, 50% recycled and 25% post-consumer waste. Our landmark transition to environmentally friendly printing gained our journal attention from The Columbia Spectator and it has led other campus publications to ‘go green.’ The Current is widely appreciated—by the Student Council and by the other publications—as the model for environmental stewardship among Columbia’s many journals, and we are proud of this distinction.

2. Chevron

In an example of our dedication to social action and our ability to create tangible change, The Current published an editorial in Winter 2006 advocating that Columbia divest from Chevron Corp. We found their environmental and social practices in Ecuador to be below a proper standard of corporate accountability. In Spring 2007, Chevron responded to our editorial with a letter to the editor, suggesting that we read two more articles on the topic and calling our editorial “nothing more than propaganda.“ Our editorial was submitted to the Columbia Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing, which cited us in their interim report (page four) along with Amnesty International as factors in their decision to review the issue. Upon review, The Advisory Committee unanimously suggested Columbia's trustees vote for a shareholder resolution telling Chevron to uphold a standard of socially responsible behavior. Columbia’s trustees voted our shares in favor of the resolution. In addition, Merritt Fox, chair of the Committee, sent a letter to the CEO and Chairman of Chevron, encouraging the corporation to consider human and environmental rights in nations where they work. Please visit our original report on Chevron for more information.

A. Dennis Ross Letter

In Fall 2007, now Editor-in-Chief, Jordan Hirsch published a highly critical book review of Statecraft: And How to Restore America’s Standing in the World by U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross, who served as the lead U.S. negotiator between the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority for over twelve years. Ambassador Ross, now the Ziegler Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, responded with an equally critical letter to the editor in Summer 2008, engaging The Current in the lively discussion that we strive to foster.

B. Daniel Greenberg’s South Africa Article

In Summer 2008, Contributing Editor Daniel Greenberg published an essay discussing the history of the Jewish community in South Africa, and its behavior under de facto one-party states both during and after Apartheid. Greenberg censured the executive leadership of the South African Jewish community—the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBOD), for its determined political neutrality in the face of deeply disturbing actions taken by various South African governments. SAJBOD President Zev Krengel responded with a detailed Letter to the Editor, accompanied by another letter from Russell Gaddin, National Chairman of SAJBOD, to be published in the Fall 2008 issue.

C. Blog Postings

The Current’s work has been cited on blogs of The New Republic and National Review magazines, by Instapundit, the Volokh Conspiracy, the Manhattan Institute's "Minding the Campus," Democracy Project, and NewCentrist. The Current’s Jewish–related content has been featured on the blogs of Jewcy, Jewschool, Jewlicious, PresenTense, and Blogs of Zion. Please see the entire Press page for complete blog listings.