USC MAKES PRESS FREEDOM TOP PRIORITY
Jeremy Santucci
I n terim E ditor - i n - C h ief Following recommendations from The Gazette’s Strategic Review Committee, the University Students’ Council unveiled a new strategic plan Wednesday night that will see campus press freedom made a top priority. One of the first changes announced is the rebranding of the paper as the Purple Mustang Gazette. “We really wanted a unique name that showed off Western’s spirit,” Jeremy Santucci, vice-president communications for the USC, explained. According to Santucci, a survey of club presidents found students’ mental health was adversely affected by The Gazette’s coverage of political scandal and sophing changes. “From now on, we want a publication that will showcase the best Western and the USC have to offer, not the worst,” Santucci said. Myuri Komaragiri, vice-president campus issues, echoed his sentiments, noting coverage of the USC’s intended move of the multi-faith
room in January saw usage of Western’s Peer Support Centre peak. Gloria Dickie, editor-in-chief of The Gazette, couldn’t help but welcome the change. “[I’m really glad they’ve shrunken the paper by 39 per cent—now students won’t feel overwhelmed by its dense material],”she commented.
From now on, we want a publication that will showcase the best Western and the USC have to offer, not the worst. —Jeremy Santucci Interim editor-in-chief.
In order to take full advantage of the journalistic transformation, the Purple Mustang Gazette team departed for Fiji following Wednesday’s council meeting, the site of the newspaper’s first editorial retreat. “At first I was hesitant to relinquish [some] editorial control, but
ultimately the benefits outweighed the cost,” Dickie said. Although we’ve [admired] the University Students’ Council retreats in the past, the experience to be gained in Fiji is undeniable. Suva is the birthplace of hard-hitting, urban journalism and I think our staff will greatly benefit from all the island has to offer.” In the interim, the Purple Mustang Gazette will be managed by Santucci, before incoming vice-president communications Jas Irwin takes the reigns full-time in September. “The old method of the editorial board electing its editor-in-chief seemed archaic to the review committee,” Adam Fearnall, USC president, explained. “It’s really important to us to have someone we can trust in that position, and who better than one of our own?” In order to accommodate such infrastructural changes, the Purple Mustang Gazette student fee will increase by 346 per cent next year. “We believe such a fee increase will clearly reflect the priority we have allotted to campus press freedom and will hopefully appease hordes of angry Gazette alumni,” Fearnall concluded.