SMC faculty supports Observer ’ s independence

Saint Mary’s faculty assembly unanimously passed a reso lu ­ tion at W ednesday’s m eeting that supported The Observer’s independent status. “ What we wanted to do was show support for the indepen­ dence o f The O bserver,” said Susan Alexander, author of the resolution and a Saint M ary ’s associate professor in sociolo­ gyThe d ocu m e n t s ta tes th a t “ freedom o f express ion and debate by means o f free and v ig o ro u s s tu d e n t m ed ia are e ssen tia l to the e d u ca tio n a l env ironm ent o f a lib e ra l arts college in a dem ocratic soci­ e ty,” and, therefore, supports the c u r re n t s ta tu s o f The O bserver as an independen t student newspaper. “ We, as faculty, understand that the sta ff at The Observer have policies in place and no one else needs to step in , ” Alexander said. The resolution is the second pub lic statement by members o f the Saint M ary’s community re g a rd in g the s ta tus o f The O bserve r. The Governance issued a statement in s u p p o rt o f T h e O b s e rv e r ’ s cu rren t sta­ tus la s t month. A lexander sa id th a t th is re s o lu ­ t io n was im p o r t a n t no t o n ly to support the newspaper’s inde­ pendence, but that it was also Board o f essentia l tha t