Sometimes college students get tired of reading hard news. Some prefer more entertaining articles that point out the humor of daily life.
Student leaders at the University of Nebraska are pushing to bring The Onion, a satirical humor publication, to its campus in printed form, and some Pennsylvania State University students are expressing interest as well.
“With all the different serious campaigns on campus, it’s losing the college feel,” says Kyle Arganbright, president of Nebraska’s Association of Students. “With everything being so serious, you need to look back and laugh at it. [The Onion is] all the buzz.”
In 1988, students from the University of Wisconsin began writing and publishing The Onion, which had been founded years earlier but forgotten.
Most college students read The Onion at its website, www.theonion.com, which receives more than 4 million hits each month.
“[The Onion in newspaper form] would be easier to get a hold of, and it would be a nice alternative to all the bad news,” says Penn State sophomore Sara Byron. “It is much lighter.”
Bill Mahon, member of Penn State’s Readership Program and university spokesman, says the university is not interested in offering The Onion to students because its goal is to provide educational information through newspapers.
“We don’t have much interest in satire,” Mahon says.
Dan Friel, The Onion’s office manager, says he hasn’t heard about any deals that would bring the print publication to universities. He also says rumors have been generated about how colleges can receive the newspaper.
“The Onion is free in cities with offices, and some college book stores give them out,” Friel says.
The Onion’s weekly issues include news articles, opinion pieces and informational graphics. Topics range from current events, including the presidency and the war in Iraq, to the most mundane things of daily life.
Past headlines have included “New Fox Reality Show To Determine Ruler Of Iraq,” “Eggs Good For You This Week” and “Traveler Excited Hotel Has HBO Until He Checks Listing.”
Several Penn State students have mixed feelings about articles printed in The Onion.
“I’m not offended by what they say, but they still need to have a sense of responsibility as a reporter and be mindful of others’ opinions,” Keith Tilford, a PSU senior, says. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me because it won’t affect my opinion.”
Some students at Penn State think it is a good idea to provide The Onion in print because of its clever content.
Nebraska has considered using its newspaper readership program, similar to that of Penn State’s, to bring The Onion to campus. The university uses tuition money to bring national and local newspapers to students.
Arganbright says that since the program does not want to be involved, Nebraska’s school newspaper might include The Onion as an insert.
Some Penn State students who have found out that PSU tuition is used for the school’s readership program feel The Onion should be added.
“If the others [newspapers] already come out of tuition, then I’d be willing,” says Byron. “I’d be more likely to read it.”
Phroth, a popular on-campus humor magazine at Penn State, provides a local, entertaining perspective to the seriousness of news. It is usually only published twice a semester.
Richard Skarbez, Phroth’s editor-in-chief, says the humor contained in the publication is intended to be witty and intelligent.
Ian Rosenberger, president of Penn State’s Undergraduate Student Government, says if any Penn State students are interested in bringing The Onion to campus, they could contact USG, but he encourages them to look into Phroth first.
“Why go to the national [satire newspaper] when we have a great one here?” Rosenberger says.
