The Gleaner pulled it off by not losing the referendum at Langara.
Because this was a constitutional change to the Langara Students’ Union bylaws, the Gleaner needed, under BC law, the support of 26% of voting students to stay in business. They got 40%. (In BC, it takes 75% of voters to make a bylaw change).
Results
Option 1 (Remove newspaper from constitution but keep student levy) – 116 (58%)
Option 2 (Don’t change anything) – 81 (40.5%)
Spoiled – 3 (1.5%)
The next hurdles for the Gleaner are: collecting the Spring 08 funding from the Students’ Union which is owed to it; finding office space (the Students’ Union Building has been torn down to make way for a new one.); and finally getting a paper out.
I’m not sure, but I believe this is the 7,523rd attempt by the Students Union to shut down the paper and claim the money.