Cut other services first
Has The Hatchet become the University apologist? I, along with many fellow GW students, was extremely disappointed with The Hatchet’s recent editorial (“Use paper funds wisely,” Sept. 7, p. 4), which apparently supported the end of the GW Reads program. Maybe it is because The Hatchet will now be the only free print publication on campus (besides good old By George), or maybe it is because the new crew wants to start off on the right foot with University administrators. Either way, the editorial missed many obvious points.
If GW Reads was a “creature comfort” and not an extension of the classroom, than why was this the first comfort to be axed from the list? What about cable in the dorms, or the weekly housecleaning service for freshmen? What about slimming down the admissions packet and telling new students they will get the newspaper every day instead? What about sending all University/student communications through e-mail instead of snail mail?
The point is that instead of looking for other solutions, The Hatchet simply said, “That’s cool, cut it; don’t waste the money.” My guess is that the new freshman class – once again acclaimed as smarter than the last – might want to read The New York Times editorial page for free and on paper instead of watching Terminator 3 on Showtime.
-Tommy Newman , Senior
Go green to save dollars
It didn’t surprise me to see that GW cut the newspaper program, as University officials are always, understandably, looking for ways to save money. However, this was the most prudent decision, given that there are several simple things the University could do to save thousands of dollars each year, improve the image of the school and reduce its environmental impact without slashing the newspaper program.
Some of the possibilities for saving money include installing motion-activated lights in public bathrooms, library study areas, some library stacks, certain stairwells and dorm hallways to cut electric costs. The University could also install motion-activated faucets in bathrooms to cut its water bill.
To GW’s credit, its newest dorm, Potomac House, has some of these features in its halls. Clearly GW sees the benefit of being green, thanks to its use of energy-efficient, water-saving washers and other features that save money and are environmentally friendly.
Combined, the aforementioned ideas would save the University thousands every year, so, why GW needed to cut the newspaper program is a mystery to me.
-Timothy Conroy, Senior
