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Show Thursday, December 1, 1988 EDITORIAL Censors' power ctooinr&s If ceedonni Like The Blob, the hideous, amorphous mass known as censorship is slithering up on college campuses across the nation and devouring any freedom of the press in its way. And like the Blob, the adverse effects of censorship cannot be seen or heard until it's too late. Students at the University of Utah can take pride in the fact they attend an institution where the administration and student government encourage freedom of the press. Alas, this is not the case on many college campuses in the United States. One campus where the quivering jelly of censorship is currently creeping up and consuming editorial freedom is Vassar College. Earlier this year, Vassar's newspaper, the Spectator, was banned by the student government. For quite some time, the Spectator had received criticism from students for its conservative editorial stances. The criticism came to a heated climax when the Spectator published a column titled "Hypocrite of the Month." The paper referred to a black student as a "hypocrite" remarks at a reception for shouting hosted by a conservative student group. When the Vassar Student Association got wind of the column, it threatened to withhold $3,800 in student funds from the newspaper if CHAUFM? W MCCAIM 7HAT MBBRT PShRQ WAS TUB FRST MMI 7Z7 RSACH TH5 NORTH POLS , V5T ANOTHER Darren Hawkins anti-Semit- ic 3 that particular issue was published. The Spectator went ahead and published the issue and, sure enough, VSA made good on its promises and froze the "funds. There are a few issues in this case to take into account. First, the column was not libelous. Second, several witnesses heard the student shout the remarks. Third, the student who made the remarks later apologized for his behavior. There's every reason to believe Vassar's administrators also had a hand in cutting funding to the paper, since they were the first to seethe issue and they provided VSA with lawyers to give legal advice on what to do about the paper. All of these sleazy political games on the part of VSA, as well as the college's administration, set a very dangerous precedent. Such shady shenanigans jeopardize the right of college students across the country to have free access to information. Sadly, Vassar is not the only campus where student newspapers are subject to editorial control by the student government or the administration. Similar restrictions have been placed on such newspapers as the University Times (California State University at Los Angeles) and the College Heights Herald (Western Kentucky University), to name a few. This lack of editorial freedom can be traced back to the U.S. Supreme Court's Hazelwood decision, which gives high school administrators the power to oversee what goes into high school newspapers. While Hazelwood does not apply to college newspapers, it has had a profound affect on how administrators establish policies regarding college newspapers. While the Chronicle is pleased with the presence of editorial freedom on the U. campus, we also acknowledge that the censorship of one college newspaper represents a threat to all who value freedom of the press. The Daily Utah C HRONICLE The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks, by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student body or the administration. Subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all subscription correspondence, including change of address, to the Business Manager, Daily Utah Chronicle, 240 Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112 ' .4 Awards u ncover good, bad at L We can all feel it coming. It's only two weeks away now. It will be so sweet. Christmas break Yep, that's right. Another year about to be wrapped news, but think up. I know that's not back on what you were doing a year ago. Had you ever heard of Mike Kaly? Mills Crenshaw? Utah beating BYU in football? Well, this column is dedicated to reflecting on life at the University of Utah in 1988, with all its ups and downs. In true fashion, awards will be handed out to the biggest winners and losers. So on v with the show. Back the Feeling One More Time Award: Just Bring hands-down winner for this one is Utah's long-awaitThe the hated (well, extremely disover victory from liked) Cougars Happy Valley. KUED, Channel 7, deserves an honorable mention for rebroadcastiiig the fans. game enough to nearly satisfy the win-starvKUED. I've just got to see How about one more time, Sean Covey connect with Sam Tausinga while being blown apart by James Thompson again. I would bor- row the videotape of the game from one of my friends who taped it, but the copies are always loaned out earth-shatteri- ng end-of-ye- ar . ed ed -- '. . ver-increasing talk-sho- w . . . . .Darren Hawkins ..... .Andrew Hunt . .......... .......... '. , .'7. . .Lori Bona Hunt Justin Toth Kent Condon .Deanio Wimmer .Guy Eldor .Ellen Garff Hawkins News Editor Editorial Editor Sports Editor . . Feature Editor. . Assistant Photography Editor Assistant Copy Editor Administration Reporter. ASUU Reporter. News Reporters Feature Writers. .......... Night Editor. Assistant Assistant Assistant Assistant turned out to be just a bad dream. Alarm Clock Award for Rescuing Us from the Nightmare: This goes to a number of people and organizations who fought hard to educate people about the tax cutbacks. It includes initiative warriors Chase Peterson, ASUU, the U. public relations department and Chronicle staffers who provided insightful stories and editorial comments on the impending disaster. Breath of Fresh Air Award: The Who Cares? party and attitude would have to win this one. When Mike Kaly and Grant Sperry were elected, it felt like the first ray of sun after a long, harsh winter. Greek yuppies and others with their tired rhetoric were all but vanquished from ASULTs premises at the time of this victory. Weirdness came to life. Disappointment of the Year Award: ASUU President Kaly has this one to himself. While signs of Whookie love and general strangeness still flash through, Kaly just hasn't lived up to his billing. Some call him King Kaly and I started to believe it last week when he began pulling power stunts to pressure the Chronicle to publish a letter he had written. In case you missed the lesson somewhere, Mike, the essence of a free press is absence of outside coercion, especialelsewhere. . Most Frustrating Organization on Campus Award: ly by the government. This one could go to a number of places. Perennial Why Don't We Impeach These Buffoons Award: All favorites are Parking Services and anything in the the Assembly members who don't attend their comStudent Services Building dealing with financial aid, mittee meetings and only show up haphazardly to scholarships or loans. Still, my nomination is Student Assembly meetings. Every year the ASUU vice presiHealth Services, and I've heard others nominate it too. dent rants and raves about now members had better A week or two into the quarter, my wife was so ill she up their attendance or they will be impeached. Every couldn't even get out of bed. It looked like the flu, so year, the Assembly can hardly hold quorum, especialwe waited a few days. After there was no progress, I ly toward the end of the year. Meeting twice a month she health could least at see isn't much to ask. I wonder what possesses these peoservices, figuring phoned a doctor because we had purchased insurance. A ple to campaign in the first place. Friends? Resume voice on the other end insisted my wife had a cold padding? They should at least attend the meetings if and they could do nothing for her. Unless, of course, they get put in office. If they don't, let's kick them out call back the to next we wanted Idea Whose Time Has Come Award: Drop the Ute day and hope they had an opening for the day after that. Thank you for symbol. If a group of people does not want us to adopt so its name andtraditions because we do not use them being nelpful. Award: Year the The of tax initiatives. Nightmare correctly, then we should respect the group's wishes. As if yearly tuition raises, faculty cutbacks and an The U. administration has repeatedly broken its number of students weren't enough. promises to use the Ute symbol in a respectful manhost Crenshaw keeps insisting we've And ner. Our probationary period with the Ute name is up all been duped by our professors. I know my profesand we blew it. Let's find something else. sors spent most of their time telling me to vote against Darren Hawkins, a senior majoring in political scithe initiatives. Thank goodness the tax movement ence, is the editor in chief of the Chronicle. Editorial Board: Lori Bona Hunt, Tamarah Hardesty, Darren Hawkins, Andrew Hunt, Justin Toth Editor in Chief. Managing Editor. News Editor, i. ...'. Edtorial Editor Sports Editor Feature Editor Photography Editor . , Copy Editor . U , . . . . . .,. .Amber McKee . . .Ed Ruiz .Tamarah Hardesty . .Dirk Facer .... . , . . .Sharon Dockert Sports Writer. . . . ......... Photographer. Businoss Manager Accountant Classifieds Artists.-- . . , ........ ...... , . . Aaron Ashcraft .Steve Moore Ken Southwick Scott Stone Mike Allsop Vic Garcia ' Christian Aggeler Darren Tucker Arlene Calkins Jennifer Peterson . . Loren Jorgohson . . Andrew Holloway . . . Rolxirt McOmtar . ..... .Kay Anderson ...Charlene Collins Byron Williums . .... .... Accounting Clerk Collections Account Executives . . Production Manager. Assistant Production Manager Production Assistant Charles Lai Kim Bartel Wes Pack . Tammie Bostick Sara Wilson MattDalton Jina Sanone Sean Buckley Watanabe . .Kenny Abbie Hall David Lew Stanford Hirai ...... SridipNag Distribution , , . .David Orchard |