Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Readership Program Renewal Delayed

Image Contributor The Collegiate Readership Program was put on hiatus after encountering budget constraints.
Image Contributor
The Collegiate Readership Program was put on hiatus after encountering budget constraints.

The relaunch of the Collegiate Readership Program has been postponed as it waits to collect the necessary funds from its sponsors.

The program, which provides free copies of The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today at four different locations throughout campus, had been on hiatus during the fall semester due to a lack of funding from sponsors. According to Interhall’s Vice President of Student Advocacy Will Cousino (SFS ’12), the program was set to resume this past Wednesday, but the start date has now been moved to Feb. 1.

Cousino said newspaper delivery cannot begin until the program’s contract with USA Today is signed by the Office of Student Affairs. The signature is being withheld until all of the money pledged by sponsors has been transferred into the bank account that funds the program.

The sponsors, which include Interhall, The Corp, Georgetown University Student Association, Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union, the McDonough School of Business’ Dean’s Office and the Senior Vice President’s Office, have pledged $6,000 for the program.

“Sponsors have already been reminded to make the transfer and as long as all do so the program will still launch,” Cousino said.

Cousino and GUSA Vice President Jason Kluger (MSB ’11) have been working since the summer to restart the program and simultaneously keep in mind budget constraints.

“We have to bring it back right and make it sustainable,” Kluger said.

Students on campus who took advantage of the program last year are looking forward to its upcoming renewal.

“I’m thrilled that Georgetown is getting [its] priorities straight and bringing back the newspapers, because students need to be informed,” Maggie Donahue (COL ’11) said.

During their negotiations, Cousino and Kluger expressed a desire to ensure the solidity of the program’s financial and contractual agreements before any potential relaunch, in order to prevent funding cuts like those that halted the program in the fall semester. Kluger mentioned that they spoke to representatives from both USA Today and The New York Times about different possibilities for readership programs, hoping to obtain the highest number of newspapers for the cheapest price. They recently settled on a scaled-down program operated by USA Today.”

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