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The Rice Thresher
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by Mike Nalepa Thresher editorial staff Students at all eight residential colleges could soon be enjoying a morning paper with their breakfast. This semester, Wiess and Hanszen Colleges receive copies of the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, USA Today and the New York Times each morning in the college commons. The program could expand to the remaining colleges as early as next semester. Student Association President Lindsay Botsford said the program must find funding for it to continue. It might become a blanket tax item (included in the student fees paid at the beginning of each year) or it could be tacked onto room and board fees. "What it comes down to is basically six dollars a semester for the current level of newspaper service per person on campus, which, if you ask me, isn't much for having them available for free every day," Botsford said. Botsford and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs John Hutchinson are coordinating the project, and both said that student response has been positive so far. "It seems like it's taken off better than anticipated," Hutchinson, a Wiess master, said. Botsford, a Wiess junior, said she has noticed an increase in student interest in current events because of the newspapers. "From everything we can tell, it's been tremendously successful," she said. "We've seen an increase in people that read newspapers as well as an increased interest in national news in general. "There's much more talk, at least at Wiess, about national elections and current events than I have ever seen before. In both places, every day, almost all the newspapers are taken, meaning that they're definitely getting read." The SA and Student Affairs conducted a survey at Wiess and Hanszen, as well as at Will Rice and Jones Colleges, to gauge student response to the program. Survey results were not available at press time. Botsford and Hutchinson said if the survey results show students feel they are benefiting or would benefit from the program, it will be expanded. The pilot program at Hanszen and Wiess was funded by the President's Office for only this semester. Continuation or expansion of the program must be financed by students. Hanszen senior Andy Kobylivker said that having papers in the colleges is a convenient way for students to get their news. "How many people actually go to the library for the sake of reading a paper?" he said. Hanszen senior Ben Gerdemann agreed. "I know you can read the New York Times - which is the paper I read - on the Web, but it's just a lot more convenient to read it in paper form," he said. Gerdemann also said he has been reading the paper more often this semester. Other students appreciated more access to national and international news. "Obviously, when you're at Rice, you don't exactly see a lot of the outside world, so the newspaper helps expose you to news other than Rice news," Hanszen sophomore Sara Hanson-Hedgecock said. The newspapers are brought to campus through the Texas Collegiate Newspaper Readership Program. The Dallas Morning News runs the program - coordinating delivery of the papers, providing racks and negotiating prices for universities participating in the program.
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