Union temporarily silenced

By Rick Alonzo, On-line Forty-Niner

May 6,1998

 

Recently, the Long Beach Union and censorship have become an unlikely pair at Cal State Long Beach.

 

Tuesday night, Associated Students Inc. Publications Board officials were set to redistribute the Union, a weekly, student-run publication, after having removed issues from campus newsstands Monday.

 

Fred Sanchez, A.S.I. business manager, made the decision to remove the issues after he spoke with A.S.I. Director of Administrative Services Richard Haller concerning possibly libelous photographs of Adolf Hitler beside Robert Garcia, a student senator.

 

The photographs were illustrated under a headline that read, "Will history repeat itself?"

 

Sanchez and Haller on Tuesday consulted with attorney Allen Thomas of Long Beach about legal concerns. Thomas said the issue did not contain unlawful material, and the newspapers were put back on stands.

 

But Aislin Ard, Union editor in chief, said she believes the A.S.I. officials may have committed a criminal act by removing the newspapers.

 

"[Sanchez] has really overstepped his boundaries," Ard said. "We're going to call lawyers [Tuesday]. I want to try to resolve this, but I am taking this as a serious matter."

 

Ard said she stands behind the Grunion's satirical format.

 

"What we printed is definitely satire," Ard said. "It is not libel because it is clearly marked a satirical page."

 

Ard called the University Police on Monday in an attempt to find out if a criminal act was committed. But Ard said the University Police told her this was a civil issue. Since the A.S.I. funds the Union, the newspapers are its property.

 

"Aislin views this as her paper, but it's not," Haller said. "It's the property of the A.S.I."

 

Sanchez took the newspapers to the Recycling Center, where they were stored until legality questions could be answered. Although the Daily Forty-Niner's attempts to contact Center workers were unsuccessful, Sanchez, who also directs Center financial operations, said the issues were being held in a shed.

 

"If a [Grunion] matter is considered potentially libelous or obscene, then the newspaper is subject to review by our lawyers," Sanchez said.

 

"Usually, the Grunion is satirical," Sanchez said. "But here is a photograph of an actual person and his real name. That's the issue. Look who he's being compared to."

 

Garcia said he was "shocked" when he first saw the Grunion. "I've never been a fan of the Grunion. I think sometimes the Grunion comes up with funny stuff, but I was surprised to learn that the papers were being pulled," Garcia said.

 

This week's Grunion comes on the heels of Leo Pedraza's election as editor in chief of the Union for the upcoming academic year. The publications board elected Pedraza on May 1 in a 5-2 vote over Ard, the only other applicant. Ard took over in December when Tyson Chaney stepped down, citing scheduling conflicts with his classes.

 

Pedraza, president of Delta Chi, is alsoA.S.I. public relations commissioner. Garcia is vice president of Delta Chi and moderator of the publications board.

 

Ard said she believes there is a strong possibility of collusion between Garcia and Pedraza.

 

"I was one vote. Getting mad was childish," Garcia said. "It was a bit of an immature reaction. Offending someone and using hurtful words is unnecessary. Aislin never once came up and tried to talk to me."

 

Garcia also said he believes Pedraza is a "very grounded person who wants to make the Union a respectable newspaper."

 

Garcia said Pedraza is qualified to run the Union, although his journalism experience is limited to high school.

 

In light of the turmoil about the Grunion, Sanchez said the publications board for the past academic year has been reviewing the Union's working rules. Sanchez said staff conflicts, content complaints and adoption of a code of conduct for Union employees will all be considered in upcoming board meetings.

 

Sanchez, who has been business manager for four years, said it was the first time the Union has been pulled off the racks since he has been at CSULB.

 

Sanchez said he and Ard are not voting members of the board. He added he thinks Ard has managed well and there has been no disharmony among Union staffers.