Forty-Niner draws upon education

An initial barrage of words have been fired at t he staff of the Daily Forty- Niner by members of the Long Beach Union in what has become a perennial battle, dating back to when the Union was first created to be the Associated Students Inc. newsletter.

It is essential that our readers understan d the full complexity of the charges made in two Union columns Monday which claim that members of the Union have "defected" to the Forty-Niner or that they were lured away with lucritive offers.

Since a Forty-Niner editor must be an official candi date for a major or minor in journalism, the recruiting pool is substantially smaller than the tidal pool of "fish" that the Union casts its hooks into, snagging the occassional skilled writer.

Offers to consider becoming an editor of the Forty-Ni ner have been extended to several journalism students who have displayed a level of competancy. Surprisingly enough, some people who have worked on the Union in the past met that criteria as well.

Often the Union becomes a stop over for disgrun tled ex-members of the Forty-Niner, especially when they are turned down for editorial positions or when the fulfillment of those duties drive someone to the edge, ahem.

It's comforting to know that if I am feeling stressed and particularly veng eful after my stint as editor of the Forty-Niner is finished that I can submit stories to the Union and "to hell with the Inverted Pyramid."

Truth be told, I must compliment the Union on its look for the first two issues. Obviously a professiona lism has taken hold within the often-rambling publication and focused it into a much cleaner product than many (most) of its previous issues. Not that we don't enjoy it for what it usually is.

The concept the Union fails to recognize is education. When it blasts the laboratory production requirements of the Forty-Niner, it fails to take in to account a reality of life: If you want to eat and you are not independantly wealthy, then you need a job. The Forty-Niner has proven itself to be a ne cessary stepping stone into professional journalism.

The Union, along with prestigious publications such as the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register have benefitted from the quality of the journalism program here at Cal State Long Beach, of which the Forty-Niner is an intrinsic part.

Oh, of course I hear of longing memories from some of my staff for the days of Animaniacs, Jolt Cola, Slurpees and rum (mixed?). Or the simplicity of writing columns about Associated Students gossip. But I can assure them that it is good for their professional growth to experience what a career in journalism equates to in the real world.

R.J. Piatti is the editor in chief of the Daily Forty-Niner