Student government supports Collegian referendum

By ELIZABETH LEFFALL

Associated Students voted to support a referendum proposing a student fee increase in support of The Collegian.

Although two AS members abstained, the resolution passed Thursday by a vote of 6-2.

Before voting, AS student affairs senator Michael Karbassi said he wanted to remind those at the meeting that students should have the right to choose whether the future funding of the newspaper should be provided by AS or be included in student fees.

“It’s not our job to decide if the Collegian should receive $1.50 or more,” AS senator Shalyne Van Worth said. “Our job is to decide if we’re going to put our name behind it.”

“Now we need to give students the entire picture so they can vote informed,” said Juan Pablo Moncayo, a student-at-large.

“There’s three issues that have been conglomerated into one,” Moncayo said. “Number one, the autonomy of The Collegian from AS. Number two, the improvement of the paper. And number three, its survival.”

The referendum proposes an increase of $1.50 to student fees next year and an additional $1.00 a year through 2010. Students will vote on the referendum in the AS elections scheduled to take place April 20 and 21.