After reading the December 13, 1996 issue of the XAVERITE, I felt compelled to share my concerns with you regarding the subject matter of one of that issue's articles, Students fight university for right to have yearbook by Ramon Esparza, and the inconsistencies that lie therein. In my opinion, the title of Ramon Esparza's article is inappropriate. To the best of my knowledge, the yearbook staff is not fighting with the university for the right to publish a yearbook. We have the support of some administrators, faculty and staff members, alumni and current students.

For instance, President Yanikoski himself, in a September 30, 1996 email response to me, indicated that he would be happy to help us, that he would provide us with a personal statement and photograph for his page. He even referred us to the stack photos on file with the Public Relations Department. Mathematics professor, Dr. Susan Beal is our chief moderator. Maureen Geiger, the newly-promoted secretary of the Departments of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and the Pastoral Ministry Institute is a member of both the SXU staff and the SXU Yearbook staff. Jim Stehlik '96 is an alumnus of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department; he is also a member of the Yearbook staff. Additionally, there are nearly 70 graduate and undergraduate students who comprise the rest of the Yearbook staff.

All of this information prompts me to pose the following question to anyone anywhere who can answer it: Administration, faculty, staff, alumni, and students fight WHOM to exercise the right to have a yearbook?

Perhaps this open question could be a more appropriate title for Ramon's article. I will admit that the student activities department in general has been less than cooperative since July 8, 1996, when I first contacted Kim Johnson with the yearbook idea. At this time, Ms. Johnson indicated to me that approval for the project required a minimum of 10 students, and she proceeded to schedule a first meeting for interested students which was held on the 4th of September, 1996.

Eleven students attended this meeting during which, Ms. Johnson just as she had the previous year, inappropriately tried to route us to other 'similar' activities such as the XAVERITE and Opus. When the eleven student including myself remained dedicated to publishing a yearbook, we were told that there would be another meeting in one or two weeks, and that we would now need at least 20 students in order to get approval for this project. For the second meeting, the required 20 students were in attendance. It was during this meeting that Ms. Johnson told all of us that she would schedule an appointment with yearbook publishing representatives and that they would be asked to attend the meeting that was slated for October 3. She also stated that we needed a total of 30 students.

Ms. Johnson did not bring publishers to the October 3 meeting but instead brought a letter that stated that she would not permit us to publish a yearbook, citing her personal time concerns and limited resources as her justification for rejection. I tried to imagine exactly when she formulated these concerns. I eliminated July, August, and September because her concerns were focused on the size and dedication of the staff during those months.

To the best of my knowledge no one went to student activities late in the year to notify anyone that we existed. I contend, contrary to what is indicated in Ramon's article, that Kim Johnson had full knowledge of our intentions with this project, as well as rough drafts since early July of 1996. For some unknown reason, we were not even made aware of the petition for recognition process until two weeks before the end of the Spring 96 semester. Calls placed by me to the Student Director of Finance of the SAB on the Friday night following homecoming week remain unanswered and unacknowledged to this day. Administration, faculty, staff, alumni, and students fight WHOM to exercise the right to have a yearbook?

Contrary to what is indicated in Ramon's article, at the conclusion of my October 3 meeting with Mr. Murphy that immediately followed the yearbook staff meeting by unanimous vote, I was told by the gentleman that in order to publish a yearbook we would have to "work very closely with Kim Johnson." I thanked him for his time and the immediately departed for Ms. Johnson's office. Keisha Reed witnessed the subsequent yearbook meeting that I had with Ms. Johnson when I got there. I proceeded to show Ms. Johnson a tentative layout plan. She voiced no objection to it.

I think that it is time for the students of this university to come together, rise up and take control of the situation around here. We need an elected Student Government so that we can sponsor activities that we all approve of. We can no longer tolerate a situation where a handful of individuals whom are neither elected nor necessarily students, dictate which activities they will sponsor for the student body to participate in. Let's do it now. Suggestions, comments and criticisms can be forwarded to my email address below.

Christine M. Mouser
Mathematics/History double major.
cmouser@vaxd.sxu.edu