Pitt-Johnstown used to receive copies of the Tribune-Democrat, a local newspaper, for free at the Student Union. The Tribune-Democrat granted copies to the university for faculty members who wanted to use them as an extension of classroom instruction, according to Student Affairs Vice President Shawn Brooks.

Others remember it as a Student Senate-initiated project to use student activity fee money to provide journalism for students, USA Today also was provided.

It was neither an issue of cost, nor an attempt at cutting corners to save money that Pitt-Johnstown discontinued receiving the Tribune-Democrat, Brooks said. Once faculty members stopped using the newspapers, Brooks said. He could no longer sign an affidavit confirming the newspapers were being used for classroom instruction.

Over the years both faculty members and students took advantage of the opportunity to pick up a free copy of the Tribune-Democrat on campus. One student, sophomore Nick DiGiorgio, said he was sad to see it go.

“I read the Tribune every day, a lot of kids did.”

Student Life Director Sherri Rae, remembers there being free copies of the Tribune-Democrat on campus since she began working at Pitt-Johnstown in 2001. Rae said it was not just at the outset of this year that newspaper copies were no longer received.

“I don’t think we had them all year last year either. But the newspapers, something that was meant for students, were mostly being picked up by faculty and staff,” Rae said.