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Show Page 2 SIGNPOST May 15, 1964 EDITORIAL Majority of a Minority! let It Be Written' It is a common fact that the participation from the Student Senate here at Weber State is of a very broad scope. It entails the administration of the studentbody funds and legislating the laws that are needed to further govern the students. One principle problem with the Senate here at school is the lack of interest on the part of the senators in the job that they have been given. For instance, in the Senate meeting of April 28, there were only six out of 14 in attendance to carry out the business of the running of the student functions and problems. In other words there were not enough present to carry any of the motions that were brought before that body. The business that was transacted was passed by the minority but to become effective it had to gain the support of the non-attending senators by going to them to get their vote. Needless to say this is time consuming. For all practical purposes the Senate for that week mentioned was a totally useless body because of the lack of a full quorum. It seems that the senators have a very vague estimation of the job that they have been given to carry out. Among the duties of the Senate is the appropriation of funds from the student general fund for extra activities of the various groups on campus. If each student is in attendance and understands the basis for these appropriations then little can be said about it. If they are not and pass on the minority motion then there leaves plenty of room for a misallocation of the funds. This is not to mention the carrying out of any needed legislation. If legislation is needed and there is not a Senate to enact it on the basis of sound reasoning then we can expect to stay in the position of a school bound by the laws of a few disinterested persons. At present the Senate holds a membership of 14 members consisting of representatives from the four classes, three from the Associated Men Students and three from the Associated Women Students as well as the first vice president from the studentbody who presides as chairman of the legislative body. The Constitution allows for additional representation from other recognized groups on campus. ' Part (f), Section 3 of Article IV of the Student Constitution states: "To remove its members for cause provided the procedures for removal have been previously adopted by statute." This is a given duty of the Senate. It would seem that lack of interest shown by lack of attendance at the regular Senate meetings is reason enough for expulsion from this body. There is a definite need for more responsible leadership in the carrying out of the senatorial functions. However, 'to those senators who regularly meet and carry out their duty we say thanks and keep up the good work. To those who have not done the job, show enough interest to let someone who will do the job take the position. LITER MAN ON CAMPUS 1.. 1 i a : - r: 1 "Wai,ToTATaJ a mwm Hots, Mi0jlColli, you ' CECTAIfvlLY PIP fr&5 YOUR. S-TUPENT physical.." 50-50 MAKES A GOOD DEAL In the past few weeks it - has been evident to both students and faculty that there is considerable advertising in the Signpost. This is a fact that has not escaped the eyes of the editors, but it is being dealt with in the best possible manner with the budget we have to work with. Last week's paper, which was a six-page edition containing 450 column inches, was 85 ads. We admit that this is high and that the amount of news printed was less than would be our goal. However, we are on a budget that was designed for four and six-page papers and of the four weeks we have put out papers, three of those have been eight pages. This means that we are using more money per issue than was allotted to us at the beginning of the year. It was for this reason that we had to print a six-page paper last week to stay within our budget, and it does not excuse advertising commitments. When advertising is sold to the local buinessmen it cannot be sold with a limitation on the amount of space you will let to the advertiser. If this were done then he would soon quit placing ads after being told there wasn't enough space for his ad. The solution is to print a larger paper. Professionally, most papers work on a 50-50 basis with the advertising. That is about one-half of the paper is always ads. Some who are disgusted with the ad situation in the Signpost have suggested that we sell no ads at all. This was the policy until a couple of years ago. In the years that advertising did not appear in the paper the Signpost ran in the red each year. As now set up the money brought in from the sale of ads is not added to the working budget, but is put in the income budget set up for the Signpost. The income budget is a given amount of money that the Signpost is committed to earn towards the support of its publications. That money over and above the required amount is put in a general reserve fund. In order to obtain additional money for larger papers a petition for additional funds from the studentbody general fund must be appropriated by the Senate. Next year the staff, in estimating a budget, has asked for money to support eight pages each of 27 weeks of publication. This allows enough for expansion to 10 and 12 pages on special occasions such as Christmas and Homecoming. We also have adjusted our expenses in such a way as to increase our student fund appropriation to a minimum.We feel that there will be a definite perpetuation of advertising is. the coming year with ads coming from national sources and grocery stores to appeal to the on-campus students. It will be an unwritten policy of the Signpost to keep the paper on a 50-50 basis as nearly as we can be with a provision for two more pages added for every extra page of ads that are sold. The case for advertising in the Signpost is a strong one from the standpoint of community support from the merchants in the Ogden area. As long as their ads are in our paper then it stimulates support from the reader for the college and the merchants who serve us. It also serves as a recognition that we are an asset to the community of growing importance. Pressmen, Freedom Vork for Survival "Survival of our government is dependent upon the continuation of a free press," said Mr. Hays Gorey at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Association Conference held at Brigham Young University in Provo, May 8, 9, and 10. Mr. Gorey was the keynote speaker at the convention which saw the problems and ideas of the college press discussed and elaborated on by various authorities and the student delegates. In his address he pointed out the lack of stimulation among people who live in countries where there is no freedom of the press. This statement came from his experience with the people of Iran on a two and one-half month visit for the U.S. State Department. He went on to say that skepticism was so high that nothing the paper printed was believed and this resulted in lack of support of the ideals of the country. In this same light Mr. Gorey said, "College newspapers need to demonstrate a responsibility to be accurate." When they do this they can further the idea of a free press. One of the basic talents needed is the reporter's ability to report accurately and the reader's confidence in such an ability. "One of the faults of college papers is Letters to the Editor To the Students of Weber State College: We, as the students of a growing institution, have affiliated ourselves by choice or by chance with one of the major organizations in the United States. Higher education has been and is becoming one of the fastest growing institutions in the world. But need it be necessary that we, here at WSC, must sacrifice the freedom-of -choice for a thorough indoctrination of garbled nothing that we have been subject to in the form of what is now known as the Signpost? As a member of a four-year college, a student is entitled to bot sides of any picture regarding or pertaining to the campus. In the past the ability of the campus newspaper is not questioned. In many cases the method was questioned but never the basic premises. The situation has apparently changed, for the standards, goals, and journalistic qualities of the new Signpost are being questioned by many, indeed, possibly a majority of the students. Also the question as to how much money the ad-man is making has been raised. In the Signpost, dated May 8, 1964, there-were 290 column inches of ads as opposed to 160 column inches of news. Why? Is there no more news of current student interest than this on campus, or is the quality of the reporters lacking ? Indeed, students, we stand opposed to irresponsible journalism. Speak out. It is necessary that you take a stand and if it needs be let us correct an apparently poor situation. Sincerely, Leon C. Brace Editor's Note: Dear Mr. Brace: As a former member of the Signpost staff, you should know, better than most, the condition of our budget. You have sent in statistics from our 6-page paper, yet we have had three 8-page papers and only one 6-page paper. (And that paper had 260 inches not 290 of advertising.) We realize that this is a problem, but our limited budget prevents us from turning out an 8-page paper every week. WE would appreciate it if you would speak out and tell us the point of your letter. that they spend too much time and space on bulletin board items," was a general observation made by Mr. Gorey. At the Friday morning session Dr. Oliver R. Smith, RMCPA executive secretary and BYU communications chairman, continued with the conference theme of "Professionalism and the College Press." "Freedom belongs to the individual who publishes and pays for the paper," he commented. Such freedom of the press is then limited to the publisher's wishes which are binding upon the editors. SIGNPOST STAFF Editor A. Brent Pulsipher Associate Editor , Jack Suttlemyre Managing Editor . Camille Ramnarace Staff Editor Gene Patterson Sports Editor Winslow Hurst Society Editor Bobbi Dabling Society Reporter Sue Ann Judd Staff Reporters Neil Adams, Gene Carlson, Lynn Meadowcroft, George Coulam, Andrea Rees, Ardella Mitton. Feature Writer Steve Larson Business Manager '. Mark Zeller Advisor Reed H. Blake |