MCC-Penn Valley students now have access to one of America's most-read newspapers for free. The USA Today Readership Program, in association with Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), MCC-PV's Honor Society, is offering 50 papers each day for student use.

According to the USA Today website, the Readership Program is available "to enhance the learning environment on campus, by exposing students to the news in their living, learning, and community spaces." It further states that its main goal is to "promote civic literacy and global awareness on campus through students' daily exposure to the news."

The program was presented to PTK at a Regional Conference last year. PTK purchases the papers at a reduced rate and distributes them daily. Pamela Yeager, PTK Advisor, views this opportunity for students as "a way to know what's going on in the world." PTK hopes that students will not only read the paper, but also use it as a portable resource for classes, heightening individual formation of ideas and opinions. "Offering the papers to students makes for a more up-to-date, informed society," said Yeager.

The papers are delivered at 6:30am to the newsstand located in the Campus Center by the Atrium Cafe and the recycling bins. Yeager, who has been periodically checking the stand, is happy with the results so far. "I want to encourage students to use this tool and to multitask by using the (recycling) bins when they are finished reading," Yeager said.

Students are not the only ones benefiting from the partnership with USA Today. Faculty are also able to obtain information through a specialized website, www.usatodaycollege.com. This site includes lesson plans and ideas, case studies, article analysis, discussion topics, and current events.

Yeager is hopeful about the program's success, saying, "It all comes down to students being thinkers."

Copyright 2006 Metropolitan Community College