Students eager to discover what the future holds for the Long Beach Union, a weekly, student-run publication, will be happy to know the wait is about over. Leo D. Pedraza, the new editor in chief, has one thing on his mind - change.
The campus was in turmoil in the spring when Aislin Ard, former editor in chief, and Robert Garcia, Associated Students Inc. student senator, butted heads about the controversial humor that appeared on the Union's Grunion satire page.
To some people the humor was offensive. To others it was considered free speech.
After continued argument and an attempt to prevent distribution of the paper, ASI's new appointed editor, Pedraza, was voted into office. Charges of foul play filled the campus.
Students worried that Pedraza, whom is president of Delta Chi and was affiliated with the ASI as a public relations commissioner, was voted in merely to achieve ASI's agenda of censorship.
Pedraza credits his victory to prior experience. In high school he was editor in chief of the school's newspaper. He has also written fraternity and sorority newsletters, Pedraza said.
"I was very optimistic," Pedraza said. "I came in with new ideas and they liked it."
Pedraza is eager to test his new ideas. The first edition of the Union is tentatively scheduled for distribution in the next week or two, Pedraza said0.
The revamped Union will have a new look, Pedraza said. The new genre of the publication will be more like a magazine format. Color will be added to spice up the publication's appearance.
The Union will be distributed bi-weekly to start, Pedraza said. Then depending on popularity, the paper might go back to last year's schedule of being a weekly.
More student involvement is one of Pedraza's main goals. The Union is searching for an eclectic blend of students to add to its staff, Pedraza said.
The new plan also includes, with the aid of the sociology department, a student survey to evaluate student criticism in order to keep the Union a student run entity, Pedraza said.
"As for the Grunion page, censorship will only happen if words are
inappropriate," Pedraza said. "A person's opinion is his or her
opinion."