Ohio University Student Senate considered seeking alternative funding or reallocating funding for The Bobcat Readership Program at Wednesday night’s meeting.
The Bobcat Readership Program provides students with free access to paper copies of newspapers, such as The New York Times, and The Buzz news app at a projected cost of about $50,000 annually.
“They were talking about getting rid of The New York Times, and I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now with all the quote fake news we have going around,” Matthew Mamone, a junior studying biological sciences, said. “In an age where we’re constantly squinting at our phones, it’s nice to pick it up and have a tangible copy.”
Last April, the senate voted to purchase The Buzz app as an addition to The Bobcat Readership Program. Nearly 300 students downloaded the app in January, but data for November and December 2016 shows fewer than 50 downloads per month.
Student Senate President Hannah Clouser said she attributes the jump in downloads to a January newsletter senate sent to the student body that included a promotion of the app.
“I think if we’re going to cut anywhere, we should cut the 12 grand for The Buzz app, which offers USA TODAY and the student newspaper,” Graduate Senator Mitchell Smith said. “(The New York Times) needs these physical subscriptions to continue to operate and deliver effective journalism and hold people like President Trump accountable to whatever nonsense they’re spewing every hour of the day.”
An average of 255 print copies of The New York Times are picked from Bobcat Readership Program locations daily.
Prior to Wednesday’s general body meeting, senate’s University Life Commission brainstormed possible alternatives for the $60,000 currently funding The Bobcat Readership Program.
“We thought about using that money to pay for half of Connect so students don’t have to pay $100 for an online code,” Nicole Schneider, senator-at-large, said. “Another idea we had was a ride-share program, like a bike ride-share program. I think it used to be something OU had, and maybe we could bring it back.”
Other senators suggested talking to the Scripps College of Communication about funding some portion of the program.
Also at Wednesday night’s meeting, senate passed a resolution to form a Committee on Community and Social Activity "necessary to further the personal development" of the body, which is required by the Rules and Procedures.
