Comment: Student Publications by Darryl M. Wood Weber State's three main publications, the SIGNPOST, FOCUS and RETROSPECT, have been joined by another, the LOWER LEVEL. During the fight with the Administration in Fall Quarter over Open House hours for the dormitories, several Promontory residents decided a newspaper, by and for the dormitory residents was needed. Three other newspapers had been attempted by dorm students, but this one has been the first to succeed. The first, begun by Karl Wood, Director of Housing, did not publish a single issue. The second, suggested by Mike Shafer, present Head Resident of LaSal Hall, did not last past its first organizational meeting. The third, begun by residents of the fifth floor of Promontory Tower last year, published two issues but did not distribute the second. Meetings were called by Mike H. Lewis, present Editor-in-Chief, of all dormitory residents who were interested in assisting in the publication of a dormitory newspaper. From an initial group of approximately sixteen residents, a nucleus of eight has remained to carry on the publication duties. The first issue came out on December 11, 1973. The second and third issues came out on a monthly basis. Since that time however, issues have been coming out on a weekly basis and will hopefully continue on a bi-weekly basis during Spring Quarter. So far the Housing Office has furnished all of the supplies necessary for publication. To become independent of the WSC Administration, the LOWER LEVEL'S staff wrote a constitution. They presented this constitution to the ASWSC Executive Council to become a budgeted member of the Council. If their budget is approved, they will continue publication of the LOWER LEVEL next year and hopefully for many years to come. Mike H. Lewis, LOWER LEVEL Editor-in-Chief, said in a RETROSPECT interview, "One of the purposes of this newspaper is to try to reflect the attitudes of the dormitory residents. Another is to try to help the residents by finding problems in the dormitory systems and correcting them if possible. But the largest problem has been the lack of participation by dormitory residents. We will continue, though, throughout many academic years to come if we can receive a budget from the ASWSC Council". He also stated that he was proud of the newspaper's publication record and of its content so far and hopes that it will remain as good throughout the years to come. SIGNPOST Change has characterized the SIGNPOST this year. The SIGNPOST has enlarged its advertising space, gained a UPI wire, a darkroom, printed semi-weekly cartoons and has published quarterly issues of its literary supplement, the FIRST STONE. Addition of advertising space has allowed the SIGNPOST to enlarge the number of pages per issue. This has increased the paper's capacity to better serve the students of Weber State College. The UPI wire has allowed the SIGNPOST to print news of national and international importance. It has also allowed the newspaper access to many UPI columns and news sources. The newspaper is now able to print news stories that it had no access to before. The SIGNPOST has also begun to print editorial cartoon in each issue of the newspaper. It has printed either "Frank Speaking" by Phil Frank or "Pot Shots" by Hansen. These cartoons have increased the editorial comment of the newspaper by pointing out many of the problems and foibles of college living. The SIGNPOST has also published quarterly issues of its literary supplement, the FIRST STONE. However, the fir issue of the FIRST STONE was a cause of conflict because WSC students began to complain that most of the contributors were members of the SIGNPOST staff. In defense of the paper's content, SIGNPOST Editor, Bobbie Cantwell, stated that most of the entries for the First Stone were from SIGNPOST staff members and it was only natural for their contributions to be in the majority in the supplement. The Winter Quarter issue was more decentralized in its contributors and was generally well accepted by members of the studentbody and faculty. In my opinion, the SIGNPOST has done an admirable job in investigative reporting and editorializing this year. It has helped rid the campus of such hazards as unlocked refrigerators found in and around the married students' housing. These refrigerators were not removed until the SIGNPOST ran articles and editorials complaining of their hazards to the many young children that played in the area. At the beginning of the school year, the SIGNPOST took up the banner of the dormitory students in their fight with the Administration over the residents' "Right to Decide" their own open house hours. The SIGNPOST ran many front page articles and editorials in support of the dormitory students. The newspaper was so vigorous in its defense of the dorm residents that Mike Dabling, SIGNPOST Photo Editor was prompted to write a letter to the editor of the SIGNPOST stating his disapproval. Even though dorm residents did not receive their "Right to Decide", they learned that the SIGNPOST was truly in support of the students. FOCUS The FOCUS was the first newspaper put out by the Latter-Day Saint Student Association (LDSSA) on a regular basis. The FOCUS was mainly involved in distributing information about LDSSA and its projects and ideas. Bradford C. Carver was Editor-in-Chief of the FOCUS. Terry G. Porter, Kathy Saxton, and Luann Nelson were Associate Editors to Carver. Ms. Nelson was appointed Editor-in-Chief for the FOCUS for 1974-75. RETROSPECT Renamed RETROSPECT during Winter Quarter, the Weber State College yearbook has changed considerably in the past few years. Having lost most of its funding this year, RETROSPECT, formerly the ACORN, was put on a shoestring budget. Money was scarce and support even more so. Instead of its usual hard cover, RETROSPECT was published paperbound. The cost was only $1.00 instead of $5.00. Under the able leadership of Kim Cooley, Editor-in-Chief, this yearbook has assumed a stature unique to past efforts, Many problems appeared and were overcome. One of the Photographers was changed in mid-year, writers quit and were hired, and many deadlines came and went without being met. Even so, RETROSPECT and its staff have persisted have put in much effort to bring the studentbody this book. IN GENERAL... The publications of this year's Weber State College studentbody have been characterized by change. Some of this has been for the good and some has been for the bad, but the changes occurred nevertheless. In my opinion, the SIGNPOST has improved much this year under the editorship of Bonnie Cantwell. The UPI wire was installed, the SIGNPOST attacked the Administration on several fronts and the paper has shown itself to be a voice of the students. The SIGNPOST was not afraid to air controversial issues of major importance to the studentbody. It is hoped and expected that this quality of the SIGN POST will continue through next year under its new Editor-in-Chief, Dave Midget. The largest change in student publications has been the addition of the LOWER LEVEL, a WSC student sponsored and run newspaper for residents of the four dormitories; Promontory Tower, Wasatch, Stansbury, and LaSal Halls. According to its editors, this newspaper was not designed to compete with the SIGNPOST or any other newspaper, but to aid dormitory residents in gaining rights that they might be denied. It is also to be used to open doors of communications between the dormitories. In my opinion, the LOWER LEVEL has succeeded in these areas and is hopeful of an ASWSC Council budget for next year so that it may continue to be successful for many years to come.