The Collegian Referendum Passes

STAFF REPORT

Students at Fresno State passed a referendum, April 20 and 21, that will increase future funding for The Collegian beginning next semester.

The referendum passed 655 to 443.

The Collegian is currently funded through the Associated Students, but the passage of the referendum guarantees that The Collegian will now be independently funded directly through student fees. This independence strengthens the freedom of The Collegian to report on a variety of issue, free of undue influence.

The referendum calls for increasing the Student Body Fee $1.50 in the fall of 2005, and continue to increase by $1 a year through 2009-2010, hitting a maximum of $5.50 a semester. This should ensure The Collegian’s financial stability for ten years.

The Collegian expects to enhance its service to students, with more pages, the usage of more color, and more student involvement.

On-line features will also be enhanced due to the funding increase.

Since Hye Sharzhoom is a supplement to The Collegian, it too will benefit from the increase in funding, along with other ethnic supplements. Hye Sharzhoom and the other ethnic supplements, will also receive an increase in funding. Hye Sharzhoom will also be able to provide more coverage.

The Armenian Students Organization supported the increase and members were instrumental in the passage of the referendum.

Hye Sharzhoom has been providing coverage of Armenian related news on the Fresno State campus for the past 26 years. It is the oldest continuously published Armenian student newspaper in the United States.