For the second time in two years, UCLA has rejected the
Collegiate Readership Program, which would have provided on-campus
residents access to several national newspapers.
The program saw more opposition this time around, as it was
defeated by a vote of roughly 40 percent in favor to 60 percent
opposed. In 2002, the vote was 46 percent in favor to 53 percent
opposed, with five votes deemed undeterminable.
Slightly over 40 percent of students living on campus voted on
the fate of the program last week, which was just enough to reach
quorum, said Jessica Wong, chair of the On-Campus Housing
Council.
Had the program been implemented, it would have begun fall
quarter of next year.
For the past five weeks, the readership program provided UCLA
on-campus housing residents with copies of USA Today and The New
York Times five days a week at each of the dining halls on campus.
The deliveries stopped last Friday as the voting period came to an
end.
The program typically provides students with USA Today and at
least one additional professional newspaper at a reduced rate. It
was developed in 1997 by USA Today for Penn State University and
has since spread to over 240 colleges and universities.
Over 200 schools have accepted the four or five-week trial
period but rejected the paid program.
Wong was not sure if the readership program would return to UCLA
in the coming years.
“It depends on whether USA Today wants to pursue it
again,” she said. Typically, USA Today approaches the school
it wishes to bring the program to and the school decides whether to
accept it.
Robin Bristol, national education manager for USA Today, did not
return calls for comment.
The readership program met with opposition from UCLA Student
Media. At some schools where the readership program has been
implemented, student media outlets said the program caused a
decline in student readership and increased their operating
costs.
At nine dollars per academic quarter, the fees for the program
were minimal but all students living on campus would have paid
them, regardless of how many students pick up the papers.
Yasmin Krishnamurthy, a first-year biology student at UCLA,
voted against the program because she believes the national
newspapers are not necessary on campus.
“I like the Daily Bruin a lot and I would rather read that
than professional newspapers,” Krishnamurthy said.
But many students voted for the program because national
newspapers provide students a perspective they cannot get with
student papers.
“I thought USA Today and the other papers would give a
more well-rounded view of what’s going on globally,”
said Christine Young, a first-year undeclared student who voted for
the program.