Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez approved the release of $18,800 of set-aside funds to the State Hornet on Jan. 18.

Each semester students pay a fee of $2.50 that goes to funding the State Hornet ?” but until recently only two-thirds of that amount went directly to the student newspaper, while the rest was diverted to the Campus Work Program. Before, the State Hornet would apply to the Campus Work Program to receive the money that was set aside.

The State Hornet Publication Board, the governing board of the State Hornet, now gets 100 percent of the student fee money.

Mark Ludwig, assistant professor and faculty adviser for the State Hornet, said the State Hornet’s budget consists of the rent for the newsroom, printing costs and employment.

With the redirection of the one-third financial aid set aside, the State Hornet’s budget, which totals $360,805 for 2005-06, has increased by $18,805.

The publication board plans to use the money to make up for revenue losses due to the lack of advertising sales and possibly increase the pay of staff editors, Ludwig said. Another prospect the board has thought of is to eventually pay staff writers.

“It provides more flexibility with what we can do,” said Ludwig, who heads the board.

The two major issues the State Hornet faces are the increase in printing costs and the production of a quality paper when reporters and editors have to hold a second job along with schoolwork.

Former Editor In Chief Jimmy Spencer wrote the proposal to the Student Advisory Committee to let the Hornet have control over the full amount. “The Student Advisory Committee received the proposal from the (State) Hornet and recommended it to the president to be passed,” said Suzanne Green, the associate vice president for financial services.

The money the Campus Work Program receives from the Hornet contributes to a little over 13 percent of the entire funds.

The redirection of the money to the State Hornet would not be devastating to the Campus Work Program and will help increase the stipends of State Hornet editors whose current stipends equate to less than minimal wage considering the number of hours they work, according to a letter addressed to Gonzalez from Green.

Gonzalez approved the proposal under the conditions that the State Hornet produce at least two publications a week ?” the Hornet Web site meets this requirement at www.statehornet.com ?” and the State Hornet submits a five-year business plan to Gonzalez, said current State Hornet Editor in Chief Nicholas Lozito.

“It was like getting a late Christmas gift,” Lozito said.

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]