Slippery Rock University - Saxigena Yearbook (Slippery Rock, PA)

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FORWARD After many years the Saxigena is again a student publication. Previously the yearbook was produced by students under the direction of the Public Relations Department. Public Relations hired students and paid them through the state work study program. Co-op subsidized the publishing; all other money and supplies flowed from Public Relations. Many students felt that this situation led to a degree of control bordering on censorship. Many were unwilling to devote their time and energy into creating the book under such conditions. We suggested that the Saxigena become separate, totally funded by Coop and independent from the administration. This divorce was not easily accomplished. Locating ourselves in the already overcrowded Student Union was a problem solved only when we settled for a storage room. Over the summer our room was cleaned, and painted and a small, neat office emerged. The most momentous decision we faced was choosing a publisher. We outlined our specifications and sent them to prospective publishers, inviting bids. We studied their proposed contracts. One company offered a real bargain—with a hidden clause. Ambassadors from the publishing houses arrived bearing gifts. Each laid before us a profusion of pens, tablets, calendars. We were digni- taries. I was called variously, Honey, or Dear on occasion. I just look like a college student, so after paying homage to me they would always ask for an audience with my advisor. Were they in for a shock! Mike, our advisor is an artist—with paint on his pants, smelling like developing fluid, he typically would stroll in with a can of Cherokee Red soda. Now he looks more respectable, but in those days he also had a beard and long hair. As I said, an artist. He would confront the salesmen in their three-piece suits, nod at everything they said, and conclude saying, with a shrug, I don't make any decisions around here. I'm just the advisor. You'll have to talk to the editor. Back to me again. They would try at this point to win my favor by suggesting. Where can I take you for a quiet dinner? Can you imagine, in Slippery Rock. The capital of elegant dining. This process was repeated when we chose a studio for senior portraits. Co-op was also faced with some changes. They now had to underwrite all costs, including office supplies, publishing fees and photography supplies. To help offset this big jump the Saxigena decided to incorporate advertizing into the book. With a very limited budget we had to sort out our priorities. We purchased 3500 yearbooks, with 240 pages each. We were also able to have 32 pages of 4-color by eliminating all spot color. The 1979 Saxigena looks quite different from its predcssors. We've broken tradition and used a big picture format. This is the kind of format used in Life Magazine. The object is to capture the highlight of an event in one very good photograph, which is then enlarged to dominate a page. In order to create this kind of picture you must have excellent photographers on the staff. We did. In fact we had more photographers than general staff. But the photographers would have had a hard time coming through if it hadn't been for our advisor Michael Changnon, Associate Professor of Art. He devoted hundreds of days, late hours and weekends. We couldn't have made it without Mike. I began working on the Saxigena as a freshmen in 1977, when I was hired through work study to be the Sports Editor. In 1978 the Public Relations Department hired me to edit the book, but I feel as if this year for the first time I've really been the Editor. There's a lot of responsibility involved when you're on your own. It's been worth it. REBECCA COHEN Editor-in-Chief

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ZEIGLER

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COULD