CCSN paper revived

Debra D. Bass

Monday, Oct. 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The power to silence its critics is not a power that belongs in government.

Students at the Community College of Southern Nevada learned the value of that democratic principle last semester, when student leaders exerted such an influence.

The student newspaper staff was locked out of its office and the publication's funding frozen. It was at the mercy of a disgruntled student government.

But the paper is back -- with a new name, a new look and a new funding source.

Volume 1, No. 1 of the Coyote Press, named for the college mascot, is being distributed on all three CCSN campuses. It is now run under the auspices of the English department and receives advertising dollars, but no funding from student government.

The newspaper's funding was cut March 7. Though its budget of about $21,000 came from a portion of student fees, the money was funneled through student government, effectively giving government leaders reign over the free press.

After a series of unflattering articles about student government practices, some student government leaders sought to halt publication of the newspaper. Former Student Body President Barbara McMillian, who suffered the brunt of the criticism, spearheaded efforts to kick the newspaper off campus.

Current Student Body President Susana Hernandez said, "(McMillian) used it as a way to stop bad publicity and by the time I found out, we couldn't just vote to give them back their funding. I wish I could have taken back what I did."

Hernandez, who was a student senator last year, said student government was duped into believing the student newspaper was misusing funds and the general sentiment of the other student officials was that "they were writing so horribly that they found no need to have the newspaper at all."

"Right now, I think student government realizes that there were mistakes made last semester, but now we're all trying to start fresh," said David Abramson, managing editor of the paper.

No one on the unpaid staff worked full time on last year's paper. Only one staffer participated at all. Cameras are missing from the offices, other equipment is in short supply, viruses have ravaged computer software and advertising funds haven't been streaming in.

Adrian Havas, faculty adviser to the newspaper, said students "fell like flies" during the first weeks of the newswriting course when they discovered that they would be responsible for producing a full-size newspaper under such challenging conditions.

In addition to producing the paper, the class studies media ethics, the history of media and media law.

"We are definitely short-staffed, but those of us left have more drive to get this paper up and running," Abramson said.

Of the newspaper's new and improved format, staffers say it commands more respect and looks more attractive than the tabloid-sized paper previously produced.

"It looks like actual news now, so this is all probably a good change for us," said Andy Holtmann, editor of the paper's "Opinionated views" section. "We're not just devoting this to paper to CCSN, but to the world."

Havas said the focus of this year's staff will be to establish stability and autonomy.