By Alicia Smith
germanphysch@hotmail.com
The Herald Staff

Students living in residence halls can now receive their favorite morning paper daily, delivered directly to their respective halls for free.

Each hall has a choice of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, The Commercial Appeal, The Jonesboro Sun and USA Today. The campus newspaper, The Herald, also will be included on the days it is published.

The College Newspaper Readership Program, spear-headed by USA Today, is a program aimed at increasing college readership by placing area newspapers in residence halls for students to pick up at will.

The four participating newspapers are delivered free to students during the four-week trial period, Pat Dixon, associate director of residence life, said.Citing recent surveys, Dixon said the partnership between USA Today and Arkansas State University will increase overall readership among students living on campus.

"They believe if you provide students with papers, they will read it and read more (material)," he said.

If the four-week pilot program goes well, Dixon said, the university will contract with USA Today permanently.

The Office of Residence Life will incur the cost this semester, he said, adding he is not sure who will pay next semester.

Dixon said, "If the program continues, the money will come from program and educational funds."

The entire program costs an average of $10 per student, according to statistics from other participating programs.The cost is based on the number of papers picked up compared to the number of papers delivered, Lisa Trube, regional marketing manager for USA Today, said.

However, the cost is a "greatly reduced cost to the university," she said.

"More or less, it is a cost-sharing program where students share the cost with each other," Trube said. "Students who take advantage of (the readership program) get a great deal."

Some students were surveyed about their newspaper preferences by Trube and other USA Today officials during a recent campus visit.

Most students surveyed indicated they wanted both The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Commercial Appeal from Memphis, Tenn., she said. Nearly 300 newspapers will be delivered to the five residence halls by 6 a.m. every morning, she said.

Trube said she will help conduct surveys after the four-week trial period that will enable the university to decide whether to continue the program.

Several students said they like the new program and hope it will continue.

Deshanta Marshall, a freshman marketing major of Wynne and resident of Kays Hall, said, "If we didn’t have them here in the lobby, most students wouldn’t get them."

"I think it’s good because it’ll keep us up-to-date and help other students read the paper more," Phillip Branscum, a freshman undecided major of Batesville, said. Branscum is a resident of Twin Towers.

One University Hall resident said the only complaint she has with the program is the amount of newspapers available to the students.

"There are too many USA Today papers and not enough Commercial Appeal," Nicole Pugh, a sophomore criminology major of Pine Bluff, said.

Jeanne Jordan, Kays Hall director, said she is impressed with the student response.

"It’s been going over very well," she said. "All of our papers have been gone everyday and it’s not because they’re packing their stuff with them. I see people reading them."

The newspaper readership idea, created by Penn State University President Graham Spanier three years ago, was designed to "enhance the education of the student," Trube said, by placing newspapers in college residence halls. The actual program was created by USA Today, she said.

When students move away to college, Trube said, they are less likely to read a daily newspaper. For whatever reasons, she said, "students are more likely to read at home."

"enhance the education of the student," Trube said, by placing newspapers in college residence halls. The actual program was created by USA Today, she said.

When students move away to college, Trube said, they are less likely to read a daily newspaper. For whatever reasons, she said, "students are more likely to read at home."