Student Council announced last night that it will relaunch last year's Newspaper Readership Program with the New York Times this semester.\nThe program, launched in association with the Arts and Sciences Council, will distribute copies of the New York Times at six locations across Central Grounds, including Alderman Library, Cabell Hall, Newcomb Hall, Observatory Hill Dining Hall, the chemistry building and Clark Library. The Arts and Sciences Council will cover half of the renewed program's cost.\nThe program's long-term goal, however, is to provide newspapers to other University schools as well, Council Executive Vice President Steven Reilly said.\n"Moving forward, we want the program ... to expand to other schools either this or next year ... for a discounted fee," he said.\nCouncil President John Nelson said 450 copies of the newspaper will be available Monday through Thursday and 250 available Friday because data collected during last fall's pilot program revealed higher demand for papers in the earlier part of the week.\nThough the original pilot program included USA Today in addition to the New York Times, Council opted not to continue with USA Today because USA Today asked Council to increase the Student Activity Fee if it wished to continue to supply the paper to students.\n"Students overwhelmingly appreciated the program, but we didn't feel it was necessary to increase the SAF," Nelson said.\nAdditionally, Nelson said students seemed to enjoy the New York Times more so than USA Today. Nelson also noted that the New York Times included other benefits, such as a speaker program.\n"The New York Times is willing to partner with us to host a conference," Nelson said. "They will help us get speakers on Grounds for free."\nSome Council members, however, expressed reservations about the program's details.\nCouncil Environmental Sustainability co-Chair Michelle Henry, for example, suggested that Council offer free online subscriptions rather than paper copies of the New York Times to minimize waste.\nNelson noted, however, that the New York Times is already available online for free, but data suggested that students are more likely to read the newspaper in its physical form.\n"From looking at just the pilot program and ... pilot programs all over the country ... the newspaper program does get far, far, more students to read the newspaper than to read it online ... even though it's available and accessible online," Nelson said.\nHe added, though, that Council is working to mitigate possible environmental concerns.\n"We'll have recycling areas on grounds," he said. "That's something we want to continue to talk about ... and something we want to focus in the survey too."\nAdditionally, Graduate College Rep. Mariel Garcia noted that there are far more students than available newspapers. Reilly, however, said newspapers on college campuses have an average turn up rate of about three, meaning three students will read the same newspaper after it has been left somewhere on Grounds and picked up by another student.\nNonetheless, Council will continue to evaluate the program to make adjustments as necessary, Reilly said.\n"Our goal is to have zero papers left over each day," Nelson said. "If lots of papers are left over, we'll look to change those locations or change the number of papers."\nFourth-year College student Erica Mitchell expressed reservations about the program similar to Garcia's.\n"Honestly, they were always gone," she said. "USA today was the only one that was ever left."\nSecond-year Nursing student Laura Beam, meanwhile, applauded the program's intention.\n"I think it's great," she said. "It increases student awareness outside their bubble at U.Va."\nNewspapers will be available either this Thursday or early next week, Council members said. Student surveys will be conducted around Thanksgiving break to compile student feedback and enable Council to make any required changes, Reilly said.
Read More
Paul Cherukuri leads U.Va.’s entrepreneurship strategy as its first chief innovation officer
By Bertie Azqueta | 6 hours agoPaul Cherukuri was recently named the University’s first chief innovation officer in August, a role within the Office of the Vice President for Research that was created to help expand student entrepreneurship and start-up activity at the University.
How Youngkin reshaped Virginia during his term
By Ford McCracken | 2 days agoAfter nearly four years in office, here is an overview of how Youngkin changed Virginia.
Spanberger, Callsen and Laufer outline legislative priorities following election victories
By Brendon Bordwine | 3 days agoAs the campaigns drew to a close following sweeping Democratic victories, attention now turns to how Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and Charlottesville-area Dels. Katrina Callsen and Amy Laufer will shape the future of Charlottesville in their upcoming terms, especially for students at the University.
