The New York Times will no longer be distributed to the Bakersfield College community.
The Bakersfield College Student Government Association, in affiliation with the New York Times, worked together to distribute the Times to the BC campus for the past month distributing the newspaper five times a week, according to Don Turney, dean of students. The final day of the distribution of the Times was on Nov. 23, said SGA President Ash West. The trial program was set to last five weeks and ended last week.
BC was able to have a trial program with the New York Times because the Kern Community College District is a dues-paying member of the League of Innovations for Community Colleges. As a bonus, SGA was paid 10 cents for every copy of the paper distributed.
“I’m thinking about maybe giving it [the money] to the clubs [on campus],” West said.
Turney said that the idea of distributing the Times was “well received” by the campus community and SGA. “When the New York Times approached us with the idea we thought ‘let’s give it a go.'”
Another campus figure who enjoyed the Times on campus was professor of health and physical education, John Liccardo, who in an e-mail to West thanks him for the “setting up” of having the Times distributed on campus. In the e-mail, Liccardo states he uses the articles in his health classes.
According to Turney, there was only one complaint about the Times. “The newspaper was being delivered to the Administration Building instead of the SGA office,” which caused problems when it came to delivery.
“There wasn’t enough man power [when it came to delivering],” and if there was the manpower “it [the manpower] got sick after the first week of distribution,” said Turney.
One BC student Nicole Crank, undeclared major, said she was aware of the Times being on campus.
“I was killing time before class once, and I picked one up over by the art appreciation building next to a Rip rack,” she said. Up to that point Crank didn’t even know the Times was being offered. ” I didn’t know we had that.”
Another student, Candyce Pearson, psychology major, had no idea the Times was being distributed through out campus. “I didn’t know about it,” said Pearson regarding the Times.
Turney said that the idea will be revised in the spring and an attempt will take place. “We now know what to do and what not to do,” he said.
In regards to not having enough manpower to distribute the newspaper, West said that it was “trial program anyway” and that in the spring, BC now has the chance of having a contract with the Times in order to distribute the newspaper. As far as who would pay for the contract, West mentioned the idea of splitting the cost with the administration or paying out from SGA accounts.