News

Officials deny magazine distribution

by Amy Borer
Editorial Director
and
Aaron Kiel
Staff Writer

University of La Verne officials recently denied on-campus distribution to low, Cal Poly Pomona’s independent magazine, deeming the magazine offensive.

“If the community has interests in these types of magazines, they can get them somewhere else,” said Ruby Cordova, associate dean of student life.

Low is a student-oriented alternative magazine distributed at locations throughout the southland, including Cal Poly, the Claremont Colleges, Whittier College, the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and Cal State Fullerton, as well as businesses in a portion of Northern Arizona.

“We want to offer students a true free form of expression,” said Editor Mark Cromer. “If they want to talk about sex, drugs, war, religion, whatever, we do not censor it.”

The cover story in the latest issue of the magazine was about Montclair Mayor Larry Rhinehart, who resigned from his position last week, but other articles ranged from gun dealing to lesbian bars and bestiality.

Cromer began his effort to have low distributed on campus by contacting Melissa Jaunal, coordinator of student programs, but when she did not return his calls, he contacted Cordova.

According to Cromer, Cordova was willing to take a look at some back issues of low, but repeatedly dodged making a decision about the distribution. When the decision was made, Cromer was told that she and other deans decided the magazine would be inappropriate for a small, conservative campus such as La Verne.

According to Cordova, low is offensive. She said the magazine does not add to the campus in any way.

“They’re unsightly and not very attractive,” said ULV President Stephen Morgan about allowing literature like low on campus.

Dr. Morgan also said that restricting low and other publications at ULV is due to possible distribution problems. However, he has no problem if the Campus Times wishes to have copies of low available for students in the Journalism Department.

He went on to say, “We’re not trying to control the publications on campus in any way.”

“The larger issue is the ethical issue,” said Cromer. “A couple of deans are deciding what students can or cannot read. What’s their criteria?

“College students are adults. The administration needs to have faith that they will act like adults.”

“I’m affected by what’s in there. I think others will be too,” Cordova said.

Cromer, on the other hand, thinks that students should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to read low.

“It [denying distribution] is a slap to the students of La Verne. It’s like they’re saying students aren’t sophisticated enough to read it,” he said.

“Students should have the opportunity to make the decision for themselves. They should have the opportunity to love or hate low.”

Cromer won a battle with Mt. San Antonio Community College over the distribution of the magazine earlier this year. Officials at the college called the magazine pornographic and seized the news stands where low was displayed.

“We don’t deny it’s a hard edge magazine, but calling it pornographic is a long stretch,” he said.

“Our attempt is not to offend, but any time you do anything serious, you’ll end up offending someone.”

Cromer and the rest of his staff are not willing to admit defeat and will continue to pursue their efforts to distribute low at ULV.

“We will try again. We hate to walk away,” he said. “Whether we get on campus remains to be seen.”

According to Cromer, there is not much his staff can do legally to get the magazine distributed around campus.

However, if ULV students get involved with the fight for the distribution of low, it is a whole different story.

Cromer added that if students ask for the magazine to be distributed and the administration still resists, legal measures could be taken.

“I’m not going to go away, neither is the magazine,” he said.

Amy Borer, Features Editor
Amy Borer
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Aaron Kiel, Arts and Entertainment Editor
Aaron Kiel
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