Recently The Daily Collegian published a column dealing with the role of newspapers on campus. The lack of a choice of newspapers at PSU was duly lamented, with the prohibitive costs of establishing and maintaining such publications offered as reasons for this lack.

Yet of all the issues brought up for consideration, no one addressed the idea of actually selling copies of the Collegian. The present system of free distribution is expensive, ecologically unsound, journalistically unrealistic and even unfair competition.

The University is currently examining ways of cutting costs so that tuition increases can be held down. Why shouldn't the cost of materials, publishing, and distribution of the Collegian be borne by the newspaper itself? Demanding that the newspaper be held financially accountable would not only ease the drain on the University's increasingly limited financial resources, but also serve two other purposes.

Discarded newspapers make up an unholy amount of our landfills; if the Collegian were to publish only what its readers would actually buy (a number determined by actual circulation), thousands of copies a week would not be printed only to be thrown away.

As for the argument that newsprint can be recycled, be honest: Where do you discard your copy? That's right, in the trash with your coffee cup and bagel leavings.

Another argument for making the Collegian pay its own way is the valuable real world experience that would be gained by the students who work on it. The greatest problem faced by newspapers today is surviving financially. Think of how much better prepared Penn State journalism grads would be if in addition to the actual practice they get now in soliciting and designing ads, they would have to maintain ad accounts solicit and monitor subscriptions, keep accounts; in other words, become more aware of the role the almighty dollar plays in the publication of a newspaper.

Simply publishing and dumping thousands of newspapers at the HUB on a five- day-a-week basis is not a complete or even realistic learning experience.

Charging for a copy of the Collegian could offer a more competitive environment for other newspapers. As the situation exists now, the Collegian holds an unfair advantage simply because it does not have to worry about things like money.

Individuals appalled by the idea of making the Collegian pay its own way may protest that students already pay for the newspaper through their tuition. If that is the case, why not set aside the money allocated to the Collegian in a common pool to be divided among qualified groups who would publish alternative newspapers?

Charging a quarter or whatever an issue for The Daily Collegian would address the issues of financial accountability, ecological concerns, journalism training and fairness.

And think how exciting actual competition would make campus newspapers! No more unedited lifts from wire services! No more sophomoric editorial columns! No more uninspired feature articles!

Hey, I'd subscribe . . .