Western Front - 1978 December 5

              the Western FRONT Happy Holidays!
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
VOL. 71 NO. 17
DEC. 5,1978
Attorney general's office never approved compromise
Misunderstanding on recognition policy resolved
by GARY LORENTSON
A misunderstanding between
members of the AS Board of
Directors and Thomas Quinlan,
vice president of student affairs
has apparently been resolved.
The misunderstanding con­cerning
the Attorney General's
office role in developing a
proposed addition to the AS
recognition policy has
apparently been resolved.
At the board meeting Nov.
28, Doug Scott, vice president
of internal affairs, and Gary
Gillespie, activities council
representative, introduced an
addition to the new AS recog­nition
policy that would restore
recognition to campus religious
groups.
In memos they circulated
supporting the proposal, Scott
and Gillespie said the proposed
addition was a compromise
resulting from negotiations
between the Attorney General's
office and the religious group's
Inside
After Ridgeway
Two students arrested
during the Ridgeway riot
claim they were mistreated.
See page 2.
Bowl addiction
"BUM," a common holi­day
ailment, has already
started to affect area foot­ball
fans. See page 13.
lawyers.
On Nov. 27, Quinlan received
a letter from Assistant Attorney
General Stuart Allen. The letter
said his office had not been
involved in negotiations with
the groups, and the "compro­mise"
resulting from the
meetings was the opinion of the
lawyers and not the opinion of
the Attorney General's office.
Quinlan sent a letter to AS
President Kurt Hanson
reporting his findings. Hanson
circulated copies of the letter to
the AS Board.
Scott and Gillespie have
since said in a letter addressed
to Quinlan Dec. 1, that the
"compromise policy has not
received official approval by
the Attorney General and it is
not the product of official
negotiations."
Scott and Gillespie said the
represenative of the religious
groups "has suggested a
compromise policy" after more
than "10 phone conversations
and one meeting with the
Attorney General."
Quinlan said in his letter to
the AS board, that it is not his
intention to become involved in
the internal decision-making
process of the AS board. But he
said it is his "responsibility as
the individual who works
directly with the Attorney
General's Office to see that
relationships, commitments
and decisions are set forth
accurately."
Scott and Gillespie said even
if their proposal is approved it
does not guarantee the groups
will not have to pay rent for a
period of time. They said if the
AS board agrees that a change
in the recognition policy is
needed, it has three options.
First, Gillespie said, the
board could decide it wants to
officially ask the Attorney
General's office for the ruling
that "gives Western students
the most freedom possible"
before it makes a decision on
the policy. If that were to
happen, he said, the new
recognition policy excluding
religious groups will go into
effect winter quarter
After the ruling comes,
which could take several
months, the AS board would
take the appropriate action.
Second, Gillespie said the
board could pass a new
addition to the policy that
would go into effect immed­iately,
without first asking the
Attorney General for a ruling.
Lastly, the board could vote
to suspend the new policy
before it went into effect,
Gillespie said. They would
debate until an agreement is
reached. He said this last
option is very unlikely.
Scott and Gillespie said every
option would depend on a
ruling by the Attorney General.
Santa Claus's lap
still open at 80
by JUNE MYERS
Playing Santa Claus looks like a lot of fun and
Wesley Zahnow says it is.
Zahnow, an 80-year-old great-grandfather
who is in his eighth year of portraying the jolly
fellow, can think of nothing he'd rather do during
the holiday season.
Block-long lines of hopeful children informing
him of Christmas needs still haven't worn out
Zahnow's lap. Even an 80-year-old grandmother
that got her picture taken did not affect him. He
thinks it's great.
He always tells the kids that he will try to
deliver what they request but it's hard to make
promises.
When a little girl asked for a horse he
explained the great difficulty he would have
shoving the animal down a narrow chimney.
"But we live in an apartment," chimed the girl.
"I'll keep it in the closet."
It's times like that that prove most rewarding,
Zahnow said. Zahnow said he enjoys telling the
kids Santa's reindeer live on Mount Baker, with
the elves. He said he secretly wishes for a
helicopter because the reindeer are getting old
and don't go quite as fast as they used to.
Zahnow has had ah interesting life. Besides
driving horses for nine years and working a farm
[continued on pase 21 WESLEY ZAHNOW