NIU students gave reactions varying from highly supportive to critical regarding the first issue of the “progressive, alternative” newspaper MUSH! distributed Monday on campus.

Todd Kuzma, Student Association president pro-tempore and one organizer of MUSH!, said, “Most of the reactions (to the paper) were positive from what I heard.”

Raj Paul, an NIU junior and computer science major, said he thinks MUSH! could be important “for the political knowledge of students.”

“I don’t always have time to get information about politics apart from The Northern Star, for example, when Gorbachev was in the United States. We need more ‘behind the scenes’ news, and (MUSH!) might fill this gap,” he said.

Kuzma, who also is a John Lennon Society member, stated in the first issue of MUSH! that its staff “…would like MUSH! to provide an opportunity for individual expression beyond letters to the editor in the Northern Star and submissions to Towers magazine. In addition, we would like MUSH! to thoroughly explore important issues…”

Senior journalism major Rob Walgren said, “I think the paper was kind of funny, but it’s good to have some alternative reading in DeKalb. We have the Star and the (DeKalb) Chronicle, but I like having fresh ideas tossed around.”

Another senior journalism major, Sue Sell, said, “MUSH! seems to have questionable credibility from biased sources who don’t get enough attention from the real press. It seems like a JLS newsletter to me.”

Cheryl Wilson, accounting major and senior, expressed a similar concern.

“I don’t know how useful it will be because it seems so slanted. Their (MUSH! reporter’s) productivity might depend on how radical they get,” she said.

Kuzma said many of the articles in MUSH! are written by people involved in the issues reported. For example, Tuesday’s MUSH! included an article about next week’s DeKalb primary by John Morreale, NIU Young Democrats president.

Gary Yambor, president of the NIU College Republicans, said he did not think most students would take MUSH! seriously, and called the paper “mainly propoganda” for the groups it represents.

Bambi Held, an NIU junior majoring in history, said she hoped the staff of MUSH! was organized enough to continue to “cover the issues.”

“I’m sure they’re committed enough,” she said.

Held said, “I was impressed with the writing and their ability to coordinate perceptions in a cohesive way.”

Some students said they thought MUSH! might run into future financial difficulties.

“There’s always the resource problem,” Held said. “They need to continue to get advertising support.” Kuzma said advertising revenues paid for one-half the cost of the first issue. A fundraiser and some staff contributions covered the remaining costs.

Kuzma said he was not sure how many of the 5,000 copies of the paper that were printed actually were distributed Monday. He said staff members kept some copies to be distributed today.