Friday, March 29, 2024

Free yearbooks return this year

August 27, 2001
Red Cedar Logs are offered free at various locations around campus. Telecommunication sophomore Kevin Alphonso looks through the annual publication outside Student Book Store, 417 E. Grand River Ave. —

For the second year the Red Cedar Log yearbook is available to all students at MSU - and anyone else who wants to pick one up.

The Red Cedar Log is the largest college yearbook in the country with more than 20,000 copies available this year.

In 1996 the yearbook was shut down for financial reasons. It started back up in 1998 and thanks to the passing of a student tax two years ago, the yearbook became readily available to students. The tax is $3 per semester.

The tax goes toward funding the production of the yearbook including ads and photography.

“Last year went really well, we only had about a thousand left over and we found places for them,” said editor-in-chief of the Red Cedar Log, David Linsey.

The theme for this year’s book is “We Are,” which shows what MSU has to offer and what makes it different from other college campuses. MSU means different things to every student, Linsey said.

The yearbook staff has worked hard to get the word out about the yearbook by putting out flyers and promoting it at campus events and dorms. Last year was the first time the book was distributed at local book stores for anyone to pick up.

With the previous financial problems and the lofty goals of distributing 25,000 copies a year, the yearbook staff is optimistic and said that down the road, students will appreciate getting the book for free.

“Students might not appreciate it now, but 20 or 30 years from now they can look back at their college experiences and plus it’s free,” Linsey said.

Boxes and stacks of the Red Cedar Log are displayed at five bookstores, with a sign that says, “Free, please take one.”

Communication junior Yetunde Rotimi took advantage of the free yearbook.

“I think it’s a great idea. It’s nice to see something for free, especially at college,” she said.

Rotimi also said it’s a great option to have and students might be more interested to take one.

Mike Wylie, who’s in charge of distribution of the yearbook at the Student Book Store, 417 E. Grand River Ave., said the yearbooks are going pretty quickly.

“We have about 5,000 copies available and we’ve already given out about a third of them,” Wylie said. “I expect them to be completely gone.”

Wylie said that students are more interested because the book is free. He said it’s pretty good indicative when a graduate from last year called and asked to have a copy shipped.

Although the yearbook seems to be getting a good response, some students think it might be a bit of a waste.

“It’s nice for some people, but I have never really wanted one,” chemical engineering sophomore Kevin Carroll said. “I think it’s a waste of paper.”

The number of copies distributed might be deceiving because anyone can grab them, including non-students, but the yearbook staff is happy with the success so far and is looking forward to possibly distributing even more.

“We only expect success and our goal for the future is to print 34,000 copies,” Linsey said.

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