A `Yes' vote puts literary publications in jeopardy

Editor,

I am writing to urge all undergraduate students to vote against Amendment 1 on Wednesday.

As editor of Conceptions Southwest, I am quite aware that this amendment will hurt every publication under the auspices of the Student Publication Board. Conceptions Southwest, UNM's visual and literary arts magazine, and Best Student Essays, a scholarly journal dedicated to printing the best essays by UNM students, rely heavily on the funding provided by ASUNM.

Historically, about 12 percent of student fees go directly to Student Publications; the Daily Lobo receives about 8 percent of this money, while CSW and BSE each receive about 2 percent.

This amendment will reduce the funding the magazines receive to 1.5 percent each and the Daily Lobo will receive nothing. This means that each magazine will actually receive less funding than this year, even with a projected budget increase.

Conceptions is facing a 66 percent budget cut from GPSA. These cuts together mean that the magazines, dedicated to publishing the work of the UNM students and community, will probably be forced to stop printing. Two vital voices will be silenced.

This is not the protection for these magazines that was promised at an ASUNM meeting.

Please vote against Amendment 1.

Elizabeth Butler

Conceptions Southwest Editor