While sitting in a quiet, empty Red Cedar Log office late Thursday night, Editor-in-Chief Rianne Jones said she was able to breathe her first sigh of relief in weeks.
Jones’ tension was due to a power struggle with ASMSU over the yearbook’s operation, which, after about a month of controversy, reached a compromise Thursday.
The ASMSU Student Assembly approved three intricate parts of the bill that established the settlement while two other sections of the measure failed. ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
“I am happy with the decision. I am happy they have faith in who they hire and who they will hire,” Jones said Thursday.
Authority to hire and fire all paid Red Cedar Log staff is held by the Student Assembly.
The assembly voted in favor of amendments that will establish a diversity managing editor for the Red Cedar Log as well as requiring the Student Assembly vice chairperson of internal affairs to submit two detailed reports concerning the publication’s content. The approval also ensured that no passed measure will affect the 2000-01 Red Cedar Log.
Still, Jones was not the only one relieved by the compromise’s approval.
“I am very excited that those parts of the bill got passed,” said Melanie Olmsted, the Women’s Council representative for the assembly. “It is definitely a nice start to the process (of improving communication with the yearbook.)”
The amendments to give the assembly editorial control of the yearbook were denied. The bill was introduced by Olmsted and Chrystal Price, the Black Student Alliance representative for the Student Assembly. It was organized through a combined effort by student government members and Red Cedar Log staff during an ASMSU policy meeting Jan. 22.
Price said she is happy with a diversity managing editor and the detailed assembly reports, but was also in favor of the two failed sections.
Despite another unsuccessful attempt to gain editorial control of the publication, Price said she is not ready to give up on the issue.
“We have already started planning other bills,” she said. “I want some kind of assurance, some kind of discretionary power that ensures equal representation. I won’t stop ’til I get that.”
If student representatives attempt to seek control of editorial content again, Jones said she will go to court.
But until that situation arises, she said the yearbook will get back to business as usual.
“We have been very busy worrying about this, so it put us a little behind,” Jones said. “But we plan on getting right back to work.”
