The San Jose Mercury News is making deals with local colleges to sell their paper on campuses. Chun Lee, a representative from the Mercury News approached the Inter Club Council on Monday, Jan. 16 during the of- ficers’ meeting and proposed that clubs on campus sell the Mercury News to raise funds.
The Mercury News already has the Readership publication program implemented at De Anza College.
A year ago, they approached La Voz and agreed to deliver 200 newspapers to the college at a discounted price and in addition give an extra 300 copies for free. This quarter, Sandra Marine, education manager for the Mercury News, contacted La Voz and said that the Mercury News will no longer be able to provide the extra 300 copies to De Anza.
"The Readership Program and this donation program are two separate things," Lee said. "It just happens that the two programs are being affected at the same time." Originally, the Mercury News was going to make donations to the local colleges, but decided not to after learning that the Sacramento Bee was offering local colleges money to sell subscriptions. The Mercury News has advocated the project since fall 2005. The publication will donate $20 for each ten-week subscription a club sells. However, the subscription itself costs $14.99. "It is weird that the incentive is worth more than the subscription," ICC adviser La Donna Yumori- Kaku said.
But the Mercury News does make a profit for a 52-week subscription. The subscription costs $99, and the clubs would make $40, which will make up the difference.
"We usually talk to the deans of each department and the student body," said Lee. "This is the first time we dealt with clubs." Lee originally contacted several deans at De Anza, she said, and was referred to Dean of Student Activities John Cognetta by Dean of Library Services Jim McCarthy. After Lee Spoke with Cognetta, she was then asked to speak with the ICC, she said.
"When the representative talked to us, she said that San Jose City College was already participating," said Hala Hyatt, ICC chair of programs.
Lee said both San Jose City College and Ohlone College have agreed to participate in the program.
"It looks like they are trying to establish a name here, then make a profit," Yumori-Kaku said.
This article appears in the Jan. 30, 2006 print edition of La Voz.
