1983_11 The Daily Collegian November 1983

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CSU, Fresno
Tuesday, Nov. 1,1983
The Daily Collegian
Sides collide over Central America
About 75 CSUF students and faculty
surrounded the Free Speech Area podium Monday afternoon to hear several
people talk about U.S. intervention in
Central America.
Rich Johnson, a former CSUF student now employed in the Fresno area,
was the primary speaker.
According to Johnson, the U.S. has
intervened in Central America for three
reasons: fear of communism, political
chauvinism and racism.
"That's the big three," he said after a
give-and-take speech of about 30 minutes. "Those are the reasons the U.S. is
fighting in Central America."
Johnson wasjoincd on the podium by
Rick Chacon, president of the CSUF
chapter of MEChA.
According to Chacon. M ECh A sponsored Monday's "protest" because
"MEChA has a long-sianding concern
with the situation in El Salvadorand the
Johnson drew little negative response
from the crowd, which formed a semi-
He talked about U:S. interest in Central America, what the historical background — as he viewed il — was and
•See Proteet, Page 8
Antagonists Rich Johnson (on podium) and Jim Walker emphasize their respective points.
Student editors to learn status of positions
By Carolyn Morrow OcbeJtree
Contributing writer
whether or not their jobs arc official at
an Associated Students Media Council
meeting Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The editors' jobs were thrown into
question on a technicality at a Media
Council meeting three weeks ago, when
the acting editors were told that a
majority, or quorum, of Ihe council was
not present when the editorships were
approved.
Ron Gaul, administrative assistant to
AS President Andrea Hedglcy, said the
editorships were first brought into question this school year when someone —
he said he didn't know who — presented
the quorum issue to Hedgley's office.
Ron Avedisian, this year's Senate
parliamentarian, said the May 10 meeting at which editors were chosen was
"My ruling was that the decisions
made at the May meeting were not binding," he said. "There was no quorum,
and there is no way they can do anything without a quorum."
Tom Boyle, assistant dean of student
affairs, said he believed the meeting »a,
an official one. He did not attend the
meeting, but based bis decision on his
understanding of what occurred and
how Media Council bylaws and Robert's
Rules of Order deal with proxy votes
and quorums.
"The bylaws state that proxies will be
seated if written proxies are given," he
said. "My assumption is that they were
correctly seated, and in that case they
would count for quorum.
"The chair ruled that quorum was
met, and Robert's Rules says the ruling
of the chair prevails. You can't undo six
months later what may or may not ha ve
been appropriate at the lime. If it was
going to be questioned, it should have
been called into question immediately."
The editors affected are Alan Atam-
ian of Hye Sharzhoom, Larry Banales
of La Voz de Aztlan, Jackie Bullock of
Uhuru Na Umoja, Alex Pulaski of The
Daily Collegian and Shannon Trimble
of SAGE.
At the Media Council meeting held
three weeks ago, the council heard complaints about The Daily Collegian while
the council was considering the editorship issue. The complaints came from
Sen. Tom Watson and Gaul.
Gaul has said that some students,
including student senators, "have an
awesome fear of The Daily Collegian."
He said these students "don't want to
put anything in writing against it."
After hearing complaints from Gaul
and Watson, the Media Council opted
to leave the question of editorships open
until Wed nesday, when it will review all the
editorship applications submitted last
May. The council is expected to give a
final word on the issue Wednesday.
Pulaski and Trimble have complained
about the uncertainty created at the last
Media Council meeting.
"It's.kind of a ridiculous thing,"
Trimble said. "It could affect five people
adversely whodidnt need to be affected
that way."
Pulaski also said he feels his "ability
and performance as editor were cast
into doubt" by complaints that he said
were presented unfairly at the last
Media Council meeting.
However, Senator Jim Gonzales,
who unofficially chaired that meeting,
said student editors should not be upset
by what took place. While Pulaski said
that Gonzales entertained complaints at
an improper point in the meeting, Gon
zales said he conducted the meeting
properly.
Gonzales also said that ihe editors
who are filling the jobs now will likely
be instated permanently, but Wednesday's
meeting will give the full Media Council
a chance to review the applications
Gonzales, a senator from the School
of Social Science, served as Hedgley's
substitute, or proxy, at the meeting two
weeks ago. Hedgley is the executive
secretary of the Media Council.
Paul Canales, last year's AS president
and executive secretary of the Media
Council at the May meeting, disagrees
with the lack of quorum finding.
"We wouldn't have gone with less
than six," he said. Six persons constitute a quorum on Ihe I l-person Media
Canales said the minutes of the May
meeting are incorrect in not showing
this, possibly because the last person
needed to make up the quorum arrived
"This is obviously some kind of a play
tactic lo try to get back at the Collegian
for bad press or something that can't be
proven." he said.
Brian Bellis, who was on the Media
eSee Editom, Page 4
Hedgley seeks other
funds for Collegian
Associated Students President Andrea
Hedgley says she hopes the AS Senate
can be relieved of some of its funding
burden for The Daily Collegian through
the use of alternate funding sources.
Bedgleycompared the current landing
situation to "kicking Siamese twins,"
where the Senate can threaten to cut
funding in retaliation for bad press or
the Collegian can threaten bad press
if it doesnl get the funding it requests.
Hedgley is arranging a meeting
with the AS, the Collegian, and Carter Roberson. business manager at
The Fresno Bee, where alternative
funding plans will be discussed.
The Collegian received $38,000 of
its S115,000 annual budget from the
AS this year. Tbe remainder of its
revenue comes from advertising,
subscriptions and production fees.
In September, theCollegian requested
an add itiona I $8,000 from the Senate's
$32,000 in unallocated funds.
The request was sent to the Senate
Finance and Budget Committee and
the Senate directed the Media Council, an advisory body for the Senate,
to researchaifavraaUive funding sources for the Collegian.
Sen. Earl Young said he thought
Ihe Collegian's request was rather
large when weighed aaminst the "growing
number of student organizations'on
campus which will need AS funding
this year.
Alex Pulaski, editor of The Daily
•Sea* Caaaaam, Pat* 4