Students should keep an eye on their e-mail, because their inbox soon might contain a message asking for their vote on a proposed increase to their ASMSU tax this fall.
ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
Readership program deserves continued funding
The proposed increase in ASMSU tax, if approved, would help fund the new Readership Program, an initiative to provide accessibility to free news throughout campus.
The sudden appearance of these newspapers at about 30 different locations on campus this past spring was a result of ASMSU’s pilot program.
Other campuses that have participated in the Readership Program include Indiana University, Northwestern University, the Ohio State University and the University of Iowa, among other schools.
The pilot program was free of cost to both students and ASMSU.
However, the initial funding for the program will expire this year, and ASMSU will be forced to find alternate funding options to continue the program in the future.
Currently, MSU students pay a $16.75 ASMSU tax each semester. Eric Branoff, ASMSU’s vice chairperson for external affairs, estimates that the increase would not exceed $2 to $3 dollars per student per semester.
We approve of the tax increase, because those who utilize the availability of these newspapers actually will save money.
If a student wanted to purchase an issue of The New York Times, a weekday issue can run a student $2 if bought on the newsstand, and a weekly subscription will cost a student $24.
A handful of classes, such as several WRA classes, require a copy of The New York Times. If the tax passes, ASMSU will be able to meet the student demand for newspapers.
For students during a recession, this can be extremely useful.
As quoted on its Web site, ASMSU’s Readership Program was designed “to promote civic engagement, global awareness, and media literacy on campus by exposing students to the news in their living, learning and community spaces … and to help students become more informed and engaged citizens.” We support these endeavors in an effort to prevent an ignorant campus. Being aware of current and global events will broaden students views, preparing them for the rest of their lives.
After college, we are tossed into the world, and keeping up on events that occur outside the world of MSU only will ease the transition. What occurs in the nation and the world affects all aspects of our lives, and instead of being naive of why changes are occurring, an informed student can understand and even foresee the outcome of current events.
In the end, it will be the students who decide if the program will be funded or not.
Free newspapers all around campus? It gives students an advantage, so why not take it?
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