Zero Cents a Page
Student Resource Center to try something different
Sabrina Fong
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: News
An email from the Undergraduate Student Government recently announced that the Hunter Student Resource Center would soon implement a card swipe system, making free printing and copying more available to and efficient for Hunter students by reducing waiting time. The USG did not specify when the system would go into effect.
USG and the Student Activity Fee fund all services at the Center. Currently, only about three computers at the Center can be used for free printing. Most students, though, do not take advantage of the service, owing to the long wait on the three printing stations.
"At the beginning of each semester, each student will be allotted 300 pages to print and copy," said the email from USG Vice President Lusheena Warner. The students will be asked to swipe their Hunter ID card, also known as the Hunter OneCard, when they print from any of the computer stations in the Student Resource Center, located on the second floor of the Thomas Hunter building.
The ID card will track how many pages a student has printed or copied and would allow free printing and copying for up to 300 pages. Students who do not use all of their allotted pages will not be able to roll them over to another semester, the email said.
Many students praised the initiative even as some remained unimpressed.
Tiffany Nunez, a sophomore, said the new system would be "much better than standing on this line."
On the other hand, some said free printing would take the incentive out of conserving paper.
A staff worker in the SRC said that paper waste was one of the biggest problems with free printing. She also said that the SRC was depleting its supply faster than it is supposed to. "That's sad for the environment," she said.
Another Center worker, Adrian Roman, agreed that free printing would encourage students to be wasteful with their printing. "I think 300 is too much," he said.
Geraldine Hersh, a sophomore, did not think so. "300 is not enough for an entire semester," she said, adding, "One semester is what, four months long? I definitely use more paper now printing out notes and papers. A single lecture can be anywhere from 10 to 30 pages long," she said.
Still, something was better than nothing, she admitted. "I guess this is better than waiting on line or paying five cents per page at the library," she said of the new system.
One SRC worker, who preferred to be left anonymous, was worried about the security of her job.
"Enforcing the rule that students can't print more than 20 pages at a time is a large part of our job," she said. "I don't want to come back next semester and see that the SRC is hiring less people."
USG and the Student Activity Fee fund all services at the Center. Currently, only about three computers at the Center can be used for free printing. Most students, though, do not take advantage of the service, owing to the long wait on the three printing stations.
"At the beginning of each semester, each student will be allotted 300 pages to print and copy," said the email from USG Vice President Lusheena Warner. The students will be asked to swipe their Hunter ID card, also known as the Hunter OneCard, when they print from any of the computer stations in the Student Resource Center, located on the second floor of the Thomas Hunter building.
The ID card will track how many pages a student has printed or copied and would allow free printing and copying for up to 300 pages. Students who do not use all of their allotted pages will not be able to roll them over to another semester, the email said.
Many students praised the initiative even as some remained unimpressed.
Tiffany Nunez, a sophomore, said the new system would be "much better than standing on this line."
On the other hand, some said free printing would take the incentive out of conserving paper.
A staff worker in the SRC said that paper waste was one of the biggest problems with free printing. She also said that the SRC was depleting its supply faster than it is supposed to. "That's sad for the environment," she said.
Another Center worker, Adrian Roman, agreed that free printing would encourage students to be wasteful with their printing. "I think 300 is too much," he said.
Geraldine Hersh, a sophomore, did not think so. "300 is not enough for an entire semester," she said, adding, "One semester is what, four months long? I definitely use more paper now printing out notes and papers. A single lecture can be anywhere from 10 to 30 pages long," she said.
Still, something was better than nothing, she admitted. "I guess this is better than waiting on line or paying five cents per page at the library," she said of the new system.
One SRC worker, who preferred to be left anonymous, was worried about the security of her job.
"Enforcing the rule that students can't print more than 20 pages at a time is a large part of our job," she said. "I don't want to come back next semester and see that the SRC is hiring less people."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
James Lee
posted 5/14/09 @ 11:49 PM EST
Well, swipe printing is finally implemented in both SRC labs.
It's quite efficient compared to the older setup. Unfortunately, it's still not the end of the long printing lines after all (as I found out this morning). (Continued…)
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