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Monday, August 31, 1998

Newsmagazine enters fall term without leader, may not publish

MEDIA: UCLA's gay and lesbian voice, TenPercent, searching for new editor

By Laura Luu

Daily Bruin Contributor

The future of TenPercent, the campus' gay and lesbian newsmagazine, is in doubt as it enters the new year without a leader.

"The editor we selected in June for the coming year, Kate Kellams, took a job in New York," said Arvli Ward, Associated Students of UCLA's (ASUCLA) student media director.

Kellams' departure was the latest in a series of problems for the newsmagazine.

With a turnover of four different editors and only three issues published last year, the magazine stands on shaky ground.

Without an editor, it is highly unlikely that the newsmagazine will print this year.

"The magazine staff begins with the editor," Ward said. "The editor pulls them together."

Being an editor for TenPercent, however, takes a different kind of courage, according to those who have previously held the position.

"It's a huge risk," said David Bain, one of the editors of TenPercent in 1997. "We've gotten bomb threats and graffiti written about us. It takes a lot of courage to have your name in print."

"It's a huge amount of work for not a lot of money," said Ronnie Sanlo, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center.

"We've put a call out, but it's been very difficult for people to participate. There's not been much leadership."

The lack of organization is a factor in the newsmagazine's inability to balance itself. Aside from the LGBT Resource Center, "there isn't any campus support in a consistent manner," Bain said.

"There isn't an advisory board. There's no one to carry on the history," he said.

This lack of support results in mad dashes to put out issues, many times in the span of just one night.

"It's hard for students to hear that they have to stay up all night," Bain said. "Unlike the other newsmagazines, we don't have 20 people working for us."

Kellams knows the struggles of heading a newsmagazine.

After her run as the editor of TenPercent during the 1994-95 school year, she decided to come back in 1998 because of the magazine's need for leadership.

According to Kellams, part of the magazine's instability is a reflection of the significant changes of the campus environment in past years.

"I'm sure the magazine did very well in the '70s," Kellams said.

In the past, according to Kellams, the gay population looked to a magazine like TenPercent to be a political forum.

Bain agrees. "I don't think there's as great a sense of urgency as there was in the 1980's, when HIV was an issue," he said. "It's not in the spotlight as much."

"Activism is lacking. Student voting is low," Kellams said.

"College used to be the time period when gays 'came out'. Now they're coming out in high school," Kellams said.

Bain feels that involvement with other organizations is a drain on TenPercent as well.

"People may not (come out) until their junior or senior year and by then, they're already committed to other organizations."

Some think this trend is due to a changing environment.

"The discrimination is not as much in your face (now)," Kellams said.

Today, many people in the LGBT community feel that when young people "come out," it is more likely that their parents will accept them. There are places where they can hang out, and there are more people they can identify with.

"With that atmosphere, you can live your life," Kellams said.

While most feel this is a change for the better, it is also a challenge for the newsmagazine.

The way Kellams views it, "TenPercent suffers from success."

Although identifying as gay in today's environment may not be as harsh as in the past, accepting a position of leadership remains difficult.

While those old days of political activism and searching for identity are gone, the new decade brings its own set of challenges.

The future of TenPercent, Kellams said, lies in its ability to feel out what the gay population needs today.

When Kellams was editor, the magazine emphasized the positive aspects of gay culture instead of political issues such as gays in the military.

"People want community - but not based on outdated ideas," she said.

"The way a new magazine draws people is that it has to be provocative," she said.

Attracting attention seems to be more challenging today than ever before, since there are more places the gay population can turn to on campus, such as the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA).

According to Ward, there is no telling if the magazine will be back on its feet by the upcoming year.

"The Communications Board (the branch of ASUCLA that funds student media) requires that there is an editor," Ward said.

"Someone has to come along who has a vision of what they want," Kellams said.

Recruitment efforts, however, cannot be substantially started until the majority of students return to campus in the fall.

If all these trends continue, there is a possibility the magazine will no longer exist.

"It will be very sad day if TenPercent actually folds. It will be the end of an era. It's the voice of the gay and lesbian population on campus," Sanlo said.

"TenPercent needs a vision to re-attach itself to the community," Kellams said. "I don't think it will die out completely."

Sanlo agreed, but said that perhaps TenPercent could emerge again after some time off.

"Maybe it needs to be gone for a couple of years for people to realize its value."

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