Spring Break
Card readers limit access of papers to students only
Kara Caldwell
Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: News
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As part of the Collegiate Readership Program, the cost of the machines is split between USA Today and The New York Times. The program has been on the agenda for the Student Government Association (SGA) since the spring semester of 2007.
"The administration told us [SGA] we had about $200,000 in reserves," said DaRon McGee, SGA comptroller. "They asked us what we wanted to spend it on."
SGA decided to spend some of that money on the Collegiate Readership Program. Students also voted in April 2007 on a referendum for a new student fee of $2.72 per semester for the program, which passed by 23 votes. Student fees pay only for the papers.
"We passed it last year but we couldn't charge students until January," McGee said. "It had to go before the Curators to be approved."
The Board of Curators has not yet met to approve the new fee, said SGA President Sean McClain.
"For the entire year [SGA] will have to front $60,000 for the program," McClain said.
Normally, the Collegiate Readership Program does not allow schools to design their newspaper distribution machines, and machines on other campuses are grey and generic.
"SGA designed the machines," McClain said. "It's really cool we got to personalize them for the school."
Students have voiced concern over the damaged looks of some of the new machines. The machine in Swinney Recreation Center had a large dent in the front after its first week in the building.
"If I was paying for a new machine I would assume it would be in better shape," said Andrea Wilen, freshman, pre-dental hygiene.
The machines are under a warranty through USA Today and can be replaced, McGee said.
If students' identification cards aren't working in any of the machines on campus, students should contact the Student Life Office, McClain said.
Students showed mixed reactions to having card-reading machines limit access to just students.
"It's coming out of our tuition," Wilen said. "I think others [faculty, staff and community members] should have to pay for them as well instead of taking advantage of what we're paying for."
Kenny Webb Jr., senior, accounting, pointed out the community is not charged for all they use on campus.
"Student fees pay for a lot of things community members use but don't pay for," Webb said. "It just doesn't make sense to charge them for something so small. Why would you keep someone from reading? That makes no sense."
McClain agreed student money should not supply papers to the general public.
"Students don't buy papers for the community," McClain said. "At the end of the day they [the Collegiate Readership Program] come back and count them and we don't get charged for the papers we don't use."
kcaldwell@unews.com
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