By Sara Russo

Chris Withers, a student at Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) was suspended from his job as an ice-side reporter and television producer at the university-run station UTVS after he refused to acquiesce to the administration's demands that he not use the "Fighting Sioux" nickname of the University of North Dakota hockey team in his broadcast of the game between UND and Saint Cloud State.

The suspension resulted from a statement he made to Saint Cloud State's campus paper, the University Chronicle, claiming that he would make sure to use the "Fighting Sioux" nickname in his broadcast. "I will say Fighting Sioux on Friday night in either an interview or during the game," he told the paper. "I think it is one of the greatest names in college hockey."

University marketing communications director Lisa Foss defended the administration's decision to suspend Withers from his job, noting that the student had threatened to violate a 1993 athletics department policy which bans the use of American Indian nicknames and mascots on all University publications, broadcasts, and press releases.

"This is an employee/employer issue," insisted Foss.

Withers claims that he was merely told by the University that he was "strongly advised" not to use the Fighting Sioux nickname, and that if he had been told that broadcasting the name was absolutely forbidden, he would have complied.

Compounding this controversial decision by the administration, St. Cloud State's student government quickly followed suit, passing a November 1 resolution to ban the use of all Indian-themed nicknames and mascots from all campus media. In an 8-3 vote, the government established that it would henceforth file code of conduct violations against any organ of student media that continued to use Indian-themed mascots and logos in their reports and broadcasts. Student media affected by the decision included St. Cloud State's KVSC student radio station, the UTVS television station, and the student paper, the University Chronicle.

A code of conduct violation can result in student media outlets losing their student organization status, and thus becoming ineligible for funding by the University.

Members of the various campus media groups vehemently protested the student government's decision, and argued that it violated their First Amendment right to free speech on the campus of a state-run university.

"We use the nickname because if we don't represent the truth, who is going to?" asked Christine Johnson, editor of the University Chronicle, who said that the paper would leave the decision of whether to use Native American nicknames and logos up to individual writers.

"If they tell us we cannot [broadcast Native American mascots and nicknames on the air], it becomes a First Amendment issue," argued UTVS television station general manager Kevin Nagle. "And we will have to make a stand of some kind to ensure that our First Amendment rights are protected."

Nagle also noted some possibly unforeseen implications of the student government mandate, asking whether the student government would also censor North Dakota students who wore apparel depicting the Fighting Sioux logo into the stadium, which might unwittingly show up in a television broadcast of the game.

Legal battles were cut short, however, when the student government responded to the pleas of Nathan Church, SCSU vice president of student life and development, and chose to rescind its earlier vote to ban all student media from using Indian nicknames and symbols.

Student government president Shahjehan Ganny speculated that Church had chosen to advocate for the reversal because the University would be caught in a difficult position if they were forced to evaluate code of conduct charges against student media.

While code of conduct concerns appear to be settled for the present, Ganny noted that the Indian logo issue was unlikely to die. "I think with the current membership [of student government], this issue will not perish," he said. "It will be brought up again in some way or form in the future."