Some unaware of free newspapers

Located around campus, national and local newspapers including USA Today, the New York Times and the Indianapolis Star are available to IU students. However, it remains to be seen how many students take advantage of them.\nIU Student Association Vice President Andrew Lauck said 2,000 papers are distributed every day at locations including the residence halls, the Indiana Memorial Union and academic buildings.\n"The exact number of copies distributed varies every day," Lauck said. "For instance, the number of copies taken went up on the Monday following the Super Bowl."\nLauck said each student pays a dollar on their bursar bill each semester for newspaper readership. He said it is hard to tell if greater promotion would increase readership for certain places where pick-ups are low.\n"Usually, the locations that suffer are the residence halls," Lauck said. "Otherwise, most newspapers are picked up. The demand for the newspapers varies from place to place. The New York Times is more popular in Kelley (School of Business), the USA Today in Ballantine and the residence halls, while the Indianapolis Star is most preferred at the Union and at Woodburn."\nWhile 2,000 seems a substantial number, some students are still unaware of the student readership program.\n"I didn't even know there were free newspapers; I get the Chicago Tribune every day," said freshman Jordan Swofford. \nSwofford is not alone. Senior Phil Keefe, who will graduate in May with a degree in business, was also unaware of the availability. \n"Oh, you can get it? Well, I feel short-changed," Keefe said. "I guess sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you."\nOf those who are aware of the program, many said they don't use it.\n"I usually read the IDS, but I don't read the other newspapers," freshman Samantha Leone said. "I'd rather read about what is going on in college life; I can watch TV and go to the Internet to find out what's happening elsewhere."\nOthers said they pick up the newspapers but do little more than browse the headlines on the first page. Many students said TV news and Web sites of channels and newspapers are a more "convenient" alternative to reading, especially with video available on the Web.