SAC won't fund 'Red and Blue'

The Student Activities Council overwhelmingly voted to reject a request for funding by The Red and Blue, a traditionally right wing campus publication, last night. The newspaper, which was just recognized by SAC this fall, has been denied funding several times in the past few years. The Red and Blue had requested $5989 for a laser typesetter at the meeting. SAC turned down not only that request, but also a second one for half that amount. College sophomore Christopher Robbins, managing editor for The Red and Blue, presented his request to the entire SAC body, which consists of steering and financial committees and representatives from each SAC-recognized activity. Robbins said the typesetter was one of the cheapest and lowest-quality available. He added that the typesetter was "absolutely necessary" for publishing the magazine. "We want to put out this publication to prove to everyone that we can do it," he said. "If we don't get the money, we won't have a publication." The typesetter would allow for a full-color cover, glossy, high quality paper and a "beautiful" publication, Robbins added. Financial Administrator for Student Activities Lynn Moller said SAC had not funded the publication previously because "they were deemed politically biased." Robbins said The Red and Blue's reputation for being "conservative" and "very right wing" is unfounded this year. "A lot of you are worried about the publication being too conservative," he said. "We're not right wing, we're not left wing, we just want to put out an issue." Wharton senior Stanley Rowe, a member of SAC's finance committee, presented the committee's viewpoint on the funding issue. "No other group on campus has a typesetter and many quality publications are getting along without it," he said. "The Red and Blue will have a publication but it won't be to the extent they wanted." According to Rowe, The Red and Blue has a $2000 debt with SAC. "We didn't want to loan them the money because we didn't see them being able to repay a debt," he added. Robbins said the money dates back many years, when The Red and Blue was previously recognized. "The financing committee never told us they wanted the money back when we were re-recognized," Robbins said. Several representatives asked Robbins about alternative methods of funding. "We have tried many other options," he said in response. "I really believe we deserve the money." Robbins also responded to representatives who asked if the magazine could use cheaper and lower quality paper, or if a desktop publisher and laser printer could be used in place of a typesetter. "The Red and Blue is the only magazine with glossy coated paper in the Ivy League and we want to keep it that way," he said. "We have huge graphics and we need a typesetter with the capability and memory to handle them quickly." Representatives spoke rather negatively about the request. "I would suggest cutting your budget," Wharton sophomore Gina Rollis said. "I do want to see you succeed but I can't support spending $6,000." "This would set an outrageous precedent," College junior Debra Pickett said. "Show us what you can do with what you've got." Pickett added that, as editor of Voyage Out, a campus women's magazine, she uses some of her own money to pay for some costs. Only one student spoke favorably about the expenditure. "I want to see Christopher get a paper out and if $5989 will do it, then I say let's give it to them now," College junior Adrienne Frangakis said. After the first vote almost unanimously opposed the $5989 request, Robbins asked for $2994. "We'll cut pennies and do whatever we can to get the publication out," he said. But the majority of the SAC body rejected Robbins' second request. "I was disappointed," College freshman and Red and Blue writer Paige Oliver said after the vote. "I wished it had been approved." "We'll be able to get this issue out with or without their help," Robbins said afterwards. "I know that's a contradiction of what I said earlier, but I didn't have faith in them from the beginning. "It seems that only extreme tactics work with totally unreasonable people," he added. Also during the meeting, the representatives elected three students to the SAC Finance Committee. College junior Basia Dybicki will serve her second term, while Oliver and College freshman David Shapiro, The Daily Pennsylvanian's Computer Services Manager, are the newest committee members.