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Show Page 4 Signpost Sept. 28, 1973 Editoriol policy 'Signpost' here to help students The students are back from summer vacation and so is the Signpost. The newspaper will be taking on a few new features this year which are planned to help the college student. Perhaps the biggest difference in the Signpost this year is the coming addition of a United Press International wire service. The wire will allow the newspaper to print national and international news rounduDS. In addition, all state news which affects students will be readily available for print. The campus radio station KWCR-FM will also be using the wire to give its listeners up-to-the-minute, news. The wire will be installed sometime durins October.The addition of national news does not mean the Signpost will be covering less of the campus events. As our primary purpose is to serve the college community campus news will still be the most important part of the news. The national news will be an extra and hopefully an extra which the campus community will find useful. Another addition which we hope will better serve the student is the entertainment section. We have compiled this information for student use, and we encourage students to contribute information which we can use for this section. During the coming year the Signpost will inform students of campus events, stimulate thought and interest, provide an accurate and complete look at all of the college. The Signpost will print editorials, the subjects of which will be chosen by the editorial staff. Editorials will not be used to discredit personal enemies of the staff or to discuss petty gripes. They will present honest appraisal of the subject, devoting much time and space to responsible evaluation and giving both sides of the issue fair treatment. The newspaper staff welcomes any and all comments from the campus community. Anvone with anv view conflicting with the Signpost views is encouraged to write a letter to the editor or an editorial. Letters to the editor and guest editorials will be considered for publication according to space and content. All letters must be signed, typewritten on a 60 space line and must not exceed 250 words to be considered for' publication. All material submitted becomes the property of the newspaper. We also welcome any news information or stories The Signpost reserves the right to edit any stories submitted.As funding for the Signpost comes from student monies, the newspaper belongs to the Associated Students of Weber State College. It belongs to the student and we encourage student suggestions and criticisms. Published twice weekly by the Associated Students of Weber State College during fall, winter and spring quarters. Entered as second class mail at the Ogden, Utah, Post Office. Mailing address: Weber State College, 3750 Harrison Blvd., Ogden, Utah 84403. The opinions expressed on the editorial page of the Signpost do not necessarily represent those of the studentbody or the administration. Bonnie Cantwell Editor-in-Chief Wil Grey Managing Editor David Jones Business Manager Dave Midget NewS Editor Ira Hatch Nevvs Editor Debra Malan Features Editor Randy Hollis Sports Editor Mike Dabling Photo Editor ( ft&tnkly speaking phi Frank ( I I I 'urn's a ffw I j mmm mmme Armiz! ) St u den t governmen t never looked better by Bonnie Cantwell Editor-in-Chief - One summer of unrepresentative, elitist unresponsive student government has passed' One summer of budget changes authorized by a very small nine member student council is now history. One summer of the government the Signpost warned would be a funding dictatorship of a pompous few has marched by. One summer -and student government has never looked bet- The Signpost campaigned against the new con- L "!ulch was put t0 student wte last March. When the students chose to dissolve the old check and balance democratic system of self-government and establish in its place an efficient nine-member council, which serves both execu ve and legislative functions, the Signpost said it would watch carefully the actions ojTe council and serve as the missing check. We, at that time, said we would be the first to criticize and the first to praise the works of the new council. And after a quarter of council actions with which to evaluate the new government, praise s ndeed due the council members and the new form of government. While most studenTs were basking in the sun or slaving to earn enough money to last another year out at collegV student council has been hard at work, and doing a good job of representing student interests g Perhaps one of the most important decisions in favor of the average student made by the counc," was the decision to fill the Academic Assembly with students chosen by election rather S bv appointment. The Academic Assembly is a body created by the new constitution to allow greater changes" Ah int aCad6mic de-sions and changes. As the constitution was written bers1101"1'11 CId 6ither 3PPint tZl, n assembJy or let the students elect the r own representatives. The council's chS to elect the assembly is commendable Equally important have been some of the council s confrontations with the administration behalf of student interests. The most recent of these was the council's fight to preserve the position of student government coordinator. Last year's student government coordinator Curtis Smout resigned to accept a position at Utah Technical College. The administration seriously considered distributing all duties of the coordinator to several persons on campus eliminating the need to replace Smout. Student government, seeing a need for filling the position rather than doing away with it, presented their case to Weber State College President Joseph L. Bishop. Bishop accepted the argument and agreed to replace Smout. As for budget tyranny, so far council has done a good job of protecting the students' rights. For instance, last year the administration agreed to fund several student groups which had previously been funded from student government allocations. The administration agreed to fund these groups at least at the same level as the year before, and agreed to increase the budgets of some groups. After funds had been allocated, the council discovered that the administration had not kept this promise. The new budget showed debate, theater and international relations receiving less money than the year before. The council took the problem to the administration and all budgets were brought up to the proper level. The council has established an "Issues '74" Week to bring in special speakers on a specific topic each year. It is now working to change the new book store policy which allows instructors teaching the same class to order different texts. l-ast spring the Signpost said the success or failure of the new system would be largely the result of the individuals who sit on the council, inis is still true: But so far the increased efficiency of student government organization has oeen instrumental in getting student government action. b The Signpost is still watching this new form of student government. It is still too early to call it a brilliant success. But so far, we have compliments for both the council members and the new constitution. |