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Show Legislation counters freedom of the press The Weber State University student senate passed a resolution Monday recommending The Signpost discontinue the derogatory use of Native American slogans and mascots in print. Boyd Redington, Na ost VIEWPOINT that reflect and promote the diverse nature of the university. WSU officials have taken an active role in encouraging a multicultural education system through the diverse curriculum and variety of instructors and staff hired from numerous ethnic backgrounds. It is only appropriate that the members of the student senate follow in the university's footsteps. However, as part of the media, The Signpost will continue to oppose legislation that threatens the newspaper's First Amendment rights. Like any newspaper, Tlie Signpost has the right to print anything that is deemed newsworthy and of value or interest to its reading public. Legislation like that presented by Redington is prior restraint and contradicts the First Amendment. The Signpost is and always has been committed to university concerns such as diversity, and likewise is committed to being a watchdog of the campus community regardless of the nature of the issues covered. The resolution that was passed, however, was a result of an incident where a Native American slang term was used in a sports headline within the same issue that a news story reported a panel on the discontinuation of such practices. Since that incident, more than six months ago, The Signpost has stopped using words like "scalp," "ambush" and "massacre" in headlines and stories dealing with sports teams with Native American mascots. Legislative action supposing to tell student newspapers what to print is a serious threat to the First Amendment. The student senate, faculty senate or board of trustees should have no oversight of student-run newspapers. The Signpost is aware of the magnitude of the issue, but will continue in its pursuit of accurately reporting the news even if that news involves the Washington Redskins or the Atlanta Braves. Recipient of the UPA General Excellence award Editor in chief Jennifer King Managing editor Jared Page News editor Gary Hinds A&E editor Kimberly Carroll Sports editor Chris Peterson Asst. sports ed. Jaren Gibson Copy editor David Grover Features editor Rachel Trotter Campus affairs David Hill Photo editor Brian Nicholson Production mgr. Natalie Peay Ad designer Kristine Birt Ad manager Douglas Perry Asst. ad manager Trent Walker Secretary Georgia Edwards Adviser P. Larry Stahle Publisher Dr. Randy Scott The Signpostis a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Letters must include name, address, telephone number, relationship to staff and the signature of the writer. The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Bring letters to the editorial office in UB 267 or mail to: The Signpost, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 84408-2110. Attn: Hillary Lundgreen, editor in chief. tive American students senator, and the senators who supported the bill should be commended for pursuing and supporting issues ,4. I, The Signpost Phone numbers Editor in chief Managing editor News desk Arts desk Sports desk Production Advertising Adviser Fax . 626-7121 626-7105 626-7507 626-7105 626-7983 626-6358 626-6359 626-7120 626-7401 The Signpost is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during Fall, Winter and Spring quarters. Subscription is $9 a quarter. Hi ' Writing, printing of letter To the editor: I am writing in response to your decision to publish a letter written by WSU students about Dr.Jim Lochneron May 1 (Health teacher treats adults as children). While I must confess that I do not know Dr. Lochner personally, I was nonetheless appalled that two students would write such a personally vindictive and mean-spirited letter, and that your edi Balance between rights, liberty needed To the editor: As members of the Executive Committee of the WSU Faculty Senate, we were appalled by and object to the unethical personal slurs directed against Dr. Jim Lochner in the letters to the editor section of The Signpost, May 1. We would be dismayed to see The Signpost descend into a forum for vicious personal attacks against faculty members, or anyone else for that matter. The issue is not whether students have the right to express mean-spirited condem Spirited tagging exhibition destructive To the editor: Students, our campus has been vandalized. On May 9, some individual, group, organization or gang has degraded our beautiful campus. Students looked upon their symbolic tagging with amazement and pondered the selfishness of those individuals who can somehow justify the defacing of public property. Such property includes sidewalks, streets, ramps, fire hydrants, manhole covers, bricked courtyards, garbage cans and campus buildings.I spoke with the dean of students, Lee Peters, and asked him about the university's stand on L. t 7 S via. Tm I) I A Wi a I WW- . Letters to the editor torial staff agreed to print it. I don't understand what the students in question thought they were going to accomplish with the letter short of embarrassment and an attempt at public humiliation.As a facul ty member, I wonder how students would feel if a faculty member were to write that kind of letter about a student and in the letter identified the student by name. Would you agree to print nations of faculty. They do. Nor is the issue whether The Signpost has the right to print such letters. Certainly it does. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of individual expression, freedom of the press, and makes it possible for The Signpost to serve as an open forum for the expression of ideas. However, we believe that civility as well as liberty in public discourse are critical elements of a free society. In fulfilling your mission a balance should be struck between them. Sadly, the erosion of civility illustrated by the it was not an acceptable practice. Chris Hatch, ASWSU studentbody president, told me the same. That tagging and other gang-related forms of vandalism will not be tolerated. Why then is the aftermath still visible? Why have the perpetrators of such a crime not been caught and put through due process?The purple dots (or sloppy blobs mingled with drippings and shoe prints), like other graffiti or gang tagging, represent some form of gang-related spiritorserve as some recruitment tactic. To justify this tagging by saying that the gang responsible is a registered organization of Weber State is of TWF C)r?s Apr OWE THAT TWf f ?r frM n ir mrf Mi fed li '. I J II I r iiLwi'mn irwrflr PRoPPEP AT THE CRIME SCENE, IS NOT QJ.SitI inappropriate such a letter? I believe that i t wo uld be highly inappropriate of a faculty mem-ber to write such a letter and equally inappropriate of you to publish it. I don't understand what legally constitutes libel or defamation of character, but if I were Dr. Lochner I would find out. Mike Norman Criminal justice professor Lochner letter may irreparably damage liberty, which resides at the core of the university. Tom Burton, chair Richard M. Alston, vice chair Mark Dyerson Diane Green Linda Forest Sue Harley Molly Smith Mohammad Sondossi Catherine Zublin WSU Faculty Senate Executive Committee the community, and children with their spray-cans ready, that gangs areOKand the destructive, nature of painting our campus with little symbols and the like is tolerable. To the individuals responsible, I pose a challenge: apologize to the faculty, staff and to the thousands of students to whom you have shown great disrespect by going back and cleaning up your mess. Weber State University is not a playground or a tree for you to mark your territory, but an institution of higher learning. Any attempts to justify your action further proves your ignorance. Patrick Murphy i |