January 30, 2008

Having served as the associate editor of The Wabash Commentary, an independent student publication at Wabash College, I sympathize with the staff of The Montclarion. Since 1928, The Montclarion has served as "the student voice of Montclair State University." That is, until last week, when Ron Chicken, president of the student union, axed the paper's funding.

At the heart of the dispute is New Jersey's "Open Public Meetings Act," N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq. Like other "sunshine" laws, the statute requires all public bodies which vote on matters and spend public funds to give adequate notice of meetings and allow interested outside parties to attend. According to the staff of The Montclarion and their attorney, Mr. Chicken's regime has violated the statute, holding meetings behind closed doors. In responding to this tenebrous charge, Mr. Chicken froze The Montclarion's funding, apparently upset that the paper's attorney would not shed light on a number of attorney-client communications.

It is fairly typical to see independent student publications in a life or death struggle with their institutions or student senates. That a university's weekly would be shut down, however, is noticeable. Perhaps this is why the Times took notice yesterday. Even the ivory tower of the academy is sometimes rocked by the gritty reality of money, self-preservation, and political machinations.

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