Campus News

Paper allowance put into effect

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Paper rationing officially began this year, giving students a restriction on how much paper they may print in the computer lab and library. The counter, which starts at $20 and drops at three cent-per-page increments, was installed on computers in the lab last year, but there was no actual allowance in effect then. This year, the counter directly reflects how much paper you are allowed. “I think it’s a good idea because it reduces waste,” freshman Leah Evans said. “Students are more conscious about what and how much they’re printing.” Awareness is precisely the goal, according to James Hogue, the director of end user services at Bethel College.  He believes most people will never reach their limit, but for those who do use an excess of paper, more can be bought in the business office. Others, such as freshman Zach VanHuisen, have stated that they don’t believe putting a limit on paper is a good idea. He cites the fact that students could suffer academically as a result, “both because of physical limited copies, and because of the mental block created by having an allotted fund in the student’s print account.” At the rate it is set up at now, students could print over 600 pages before having to add funds to their account. Concerns have been raised about certain courses that require students to turn in large quantities of paper throughout the semester. “Printing should be limited so we don’t waste so much paper,” junior Abbey Johnson said. “But exceptions should be made for people in classes like research methods of psychology, because the teacher requires a paper 40 pages long to be printed and turned in eight times or more!” However, Hogue made it clear that Bethel’s intentions are not to make a profit off of the new printing allowance. “We’re not trying to make money off the deal, just keep students mindful of what they’re using,” Hogue said.
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