What's black and white and read in some places?
The newspaper readership program returns to campus Tuesday, providing free copies of The New York Times, USA-Today and The Herald-Sun of Durham at various locations. However, community members looking forward to picking up their favorite national paper at its usual location may have to search a little further than last year.
While the newspapers were previously available in many locations around campus, including the Sanford Institute for Public Policy, Levine Science Research Center and West-Edens Link walkway, this year they will only be available at the West Union, the Bryan Center, the main bus stop of Central Campus and the Marketplace. Even then, students who wait until late in the day may find themselves staring at an empty kiosk due to a lower paper-per-kiosk ratio.
Citing a lack of financial support from the University, senior Rick Garcia, Duke Student Government director of student services, explained that with DSG footing the bill for the majority of the program's costs, the newspapers would be available only in a few key locations on campus and in smaller quantities. While the Alumni House, the Bassett Fund and the Duke University Union have each donated around $1,000, DSG is spending over $20,000 to keep the program afloat.
"What bothers me a lot is that there is so much talk at Duke about increasing the intellectual climate outside the classroom and while we have this plan that affects so many students, it is not being picked up by the administration," Garcia said.
To help solve financial concerns, DSG President Matt Slovik hopes to institutionalize the program, created in 2000 by President Nan Keohane exclusively for East Campus residents, and see it continue in the future.
"This is a program here to stay," Slovik said. "It is just a question of how big of a program this is going to be."
Even with the cuts, Slovik and Garcia were quick to point out what they felt were the benefits the program provides students.
"The program aids the intellectual experience inside and outside of the classroom," Slovik said. "It keeps people informed about world news and enhances classroom discussions."
According to a USA-Today survey administered to 250 Duke students in the spring, 94 percent of students thought the newspaper program should be continued and 70 percent said the were more likely to pick up the papers because of the program.
"I think [the kiosks] will continue to be empty by the end of the day and hopefully the administration will see that and take the numbers to heart," Garcia said.
After finding little support from the senior administration, Garcia said he approached the public policy studies department about helping to foot the bill for the program in Sanford, but to no avail. Still, students and faculty members were disappointed with the news that there will not be a kiosk in Sanford, which averaged a daily consumption around 88 papers last year, about double the average daily consumption for the Central Campus kiosk.
"I read the paper anyway, I just found it very convenient to pick it up here," public policy professor of the practice Professor Art Spengler said. "I'll just have to buy it, it's not worth running across campus."
Public policy studies major Tommy Swanhaus echoed Spengler's sentiments. "I don't have any classes on Main West so that will limit my readership. I won't go all the way over there just for a free paper," he said, adding that he is an off-campus senior who would have to search for parking or walk some distance.
Senior Dominique Ramirez pointed out the contradictory nature of the lack of free papers in Sanford. "Sanford is a pretty popular place for people to relax between classes or discuss things," she said. "Having papers there to read would seem like something PPS majors would really enjoy."
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