Students of the Wichita State University Newspaper, The Sunflower, said their first amendment rights guaranteeing freedom of the press are being violated.

The Sunflower is written and published by Wichita State students and is partially funded by the Student Fees Association. Last week, the Student
Senate passed the budget giving the paper $155,000, but not without a special committee to oversee the paper's operation.

"It's clearly a First Amendment violation. They are messing with our First Amendment rights," Sunflower Editor Todd Vogts said.

The university said it has seen some unethical reporting and problems with the writing of articles in the paper. It doesn't want to control what the paper writes, it just wants a committee to check on how it operates.

"The university is not out to sabotage the newspaper. It wants it to be the best that it can be. There has to be some accountability," Chair of the Student Fees Committee for WSU Dr. Ron Kopita said.

Media attorney Lyndon Vix said what WSU is doing may still be a violation of first amendment rights.

The committee has already been set and it will be meeting sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Vogt said he may sue Wichita State.