The Georgetown University Student Association has agreed to a trial run of the USA Today Readership program. Through the program, copies of USA Today, The New York Times and The Washington Post are now available to students for no charge in their Residence Hall Offices. Of course, the papers aren’t actually free; while students don’t pay when they actually pick up their morning paper, the University has to fork over $60,000 for the service. But that hasn’t happened yet?so far, GUSA has only agreed to a free trial run.
This service isn’t necessary. Most major newspapers, including the three above mentioned papers, are available online, for free and in their entireties. Any news-junkie student living on campus can already use the high-speed Internet access which University Information Services has spent the last few years installing. To purchase $60,000 worth of newspapers is a ridiculous waste of resources.
When considering how to use its funds, GUSA should instead consider what students are actually asking for. Services like “free” newspapers are just a flashy way to pretend that students’ needs are being met, when the student body wasn’t exactly clamoring to be relieved of having to pay a few cents for a copy of the Post.
But the luxury of the “free trial period” is hard to deny. We have certainly appreciated being able to do the crossword on paper every day for the past few weeks. And having free hard copies of the Post means that instead of napping in class, we have always had some excellent reading material on hand. So the Student Association just may have inspired us to order an “Ab Force” to see how jacked we can get before the trial period expires and they make us give it back. But we’ll do that on our own time. GUSA, meanwhile, should rethink what to do with all that money.
