By Noelle Seybert
January 22, 2008

Students, staff and faculty no longer have an excuse for not being informed about what is going on around the world. Beginning last week, The New York Times, USA Today and the San Diego Union-Tribune are now available for free at PLNU.  

“I think it’s a good thing if students find [the papers] worthwhile and actually pick them up and read them,” said Provost John Hawthorne.

According to Hawthorne, the cost of having the three papers on campus every day for one semester is roughly $12,000. For the spring semester, the Provost’s office, the Office of Student Development and the ASB Board of Directors split the cost in thirds.

Melissa Burt-Gracik, director of Community Life and adviser to the ASB Board of Directors, believes it is a good use of funds to provide papers for students.

“One of ASB’s objectives this year was to increase school spirit among students not only toward athletics, but students need to take pride in academics, music, residential halls, you name it,” said Burt-Gracik.

With California’s presidential primary on Feb. 5, some students are utilizing the papers to catch up on the candidates.

Senior Christian ministries major Brandon Clayton is indifferent towards the newspapers being on campus but is still taking advantage of the program.

“I figure if I am going to vote, I should be informed,” said Clayton.

Those involved in the funding of the new program couldn’t agree more with the need for students to be informed during an election year.

“Being aware [of politics] is important, and becoming involved is remarkably important,” said Caye Smith, vice president of Student Development.

Despite an e-mail sent out by Hawthorne to all faculty members, students feel that there hasn’t been enough promotion.

“I didn’t hear anything about it; I just saw the signs and so I took a paper,” said Clayton.

Senior Alec Ellis is a commuter student and loves having free papers available when he gets to school each morning.

“This is a great service, and I take advantage of it. People should take advantage of having free newspapers, but they don’t,” said Ellis.

Ellis says that many of his professors have talked about the service in class and are gleaning current events and class discussion questions from what was in the paper that day.

“Dr. [Sam] Powell [professor of philosophy and religion and dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry] said as a pastor we need to be smarter than our congregation, so we need to read the newspapers,” Ellis added.

At the end of the semester, a survey will be given to all students to gauge the use and effectiveness of the readership program. If the response is positive, then the program will continue. However, funding the program will likely become an issue.

Some have suggested supplementing the program by increasing student fees, but Hawthorne, Smith and Burt-Gracik all said that is not ideal.

“I would want to look at other sources and possibilities to continue funding this program and not to increase student fees,” said Smith.

This is not the first time free newspapers have been offered at PLNU. Two years ago, the Union-Tribune was delivered, but only to the residential halls. With the new program, there are more papers offered, and they are distributed at residence halls, academic buildings, Nicholson Commons and on Caf Lane.