Paper applies again for SAC re-recognition

The Red and Blue filed for re-recognition from the Student Activities Council for the fourth time yesterday, after its three tries last year proved fruitless for the conservative campus newspaper. SAC's decision last year to deny the paper recognition prompted campus-wide debate over freedom of expression. The denial came because the paper failed to register with the Office of Student Life, but it was on the heels of a photographic essay in its October 1989 issue which many considered offensive. It labeled the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance as one of the University's four biggest "wastes of money" and derided the group's name change. Members of the SAC steering committee said that the publication was denied recognition because of procedural errors, but editors of the paper maintained that it was because SAC members found the Red and Blue offensive. Last April, the University's Open Expression Committee made a non-binding ruling that SAC violated Open Expression Guidelines when it denied the paper recognition, saying that SAC based its decision on the paper's content. Red and Blue Editor-in-Chief Chris Matton said yesterday he expects the Open Expression Committee's decision to influence SAC's stance this year, adding that he thinks chances of re-recognition are "pretty good." But Matton said that he is concerned that because Red and Blue must submit issues to SAC steering to be reviewed, the newspaper may be judged on content. "It is unfortunate that we will have to turn in copies of Red and Blue because any review of the editorial content by SAC steering or the whole council would appear to once again be in violation of the Open Expression ruling," he said. According to SAC Vice Chairperson Greg Shufro, Red and Blue will be debated by the entire SAC body at its December 6 meeting. He said it is impossible to guage whether or not the newspaper will be rerecognized, and declined further comment. City and Regional Planning Professor William Grigsby, who chaired the Open Expression Committee during the controversy, said yesterday that he does not think SAC will be able to ignore Red and Blue content during its review, but added that he thinks the Open Expression Committee's decision will influence the outcome. Matton said that the newspaper only wants SAC recognition and is not looking for any funding. He added that Red and Blue is currently being funded solely by alumni donations and that it has not recaptured any of the advertisers it lost following the controversy. Despite campus uproar, Matton said that he does not thing the newspaper has toned down its content adding that "we have not gone our way to increase hostilities however." Red and Blue has published one issue this semester and Matton said that he expects another issue to be distributed in early December.

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