Here’s some good news: newspapers are back on campus as of Monday, October 5. However, the not-so-splendid news: they might be gone again by the semester’s end.
On September 10, SGA created a Task Force dedicated to bringing the New York Times back to campus.
The group currently consists of two students, sophomore Teddy Fisher and senior Corey Testa, as well as Professor Borer of the Government department.
They have been meeting weekly to work with the administration on getting newspapers back on campus. They have been communicating with The New York Times, and plan to conduct research to evaluate the student body’s interest in a Readership Program.
Members of the Task Force implemented a “pilot program” on October 1 in collaboration with our administration and the Times. SGA passed a funding resolution to pay for this pilot with a small fund kept for such last-minute situations.
This program will last only eight weeks, however. Conn will stop receiving the papers by December.
In years prior, the Newspaper Readership Program provided between 170 and 180 copies daily of The New York Times, as well as copies of The Boston Globe and USA Today.
These subscriptions were funded through a yearly charitable grant (the Times alone cost between $8,000 and $10,000 per school year), but, according to statements made by Dean of Student Life Jocelyn Briddell, this year the grantee decided not to renew the endowment.
In order to keep the newspapers on campus, the student body must actively express their desire for its reinstatement.
After the pilot program ends, the Task Force plans to conduct a survey that will measure students’ interest in the return of a long-term newspaper program.
Fisher reported that as of the first few weeks of school, approximately “sixty percent…of [Conn] students were speaking out in favor of the Readership Program.”
Now the Task Force is recruiting members who are passionate about getting the papers back. Any student is encouraged to join and help to the research and interviews on student interest. They may also work with the administration to find the most fiscally efficient method of instilling another newspaper program.
SGA and the administration are still unsure about how the school will pay for a permanent Readership Program.
During an SGA meeting on Thursday, September 10, the speaking list ran long with questions for visitor Kevin Cappallo, the New York Times’ Director of Education. They asked primarily about the cost of subscriptions, and other colleges’ and universities’ monetary revenues.
According to Cappallo, many other schools rely on grant sources to fund their newspaper programs, while others, like Pennsylvania State University, have the cost of newspapers built into their tuitions.
Conn’s Task Force and Administration are currently not focusing on raising tuition as a top option.
They are instead looking into a private donor for the spring semester, and are putting in an Above Current Level (ACL) request that will be reviewed by the Priorities, Planning and Budget Committee.
The more Connecticut College students show the administration that they care about staying connected through a print edition of a national paper, the better chance the school has of sustaining that connection through a lasting Newspaper Readership Program.
Show support by writing a letter or editorial to the College Voice or send a signed email or letter to President Higdon, Dean Bengochea, Briddell, or Brooks.
SGA’s Task Force also ardently encourages anyone to join them in working more closely with the student government and Conn’s administration.
Photo by Kelsey Cohen
