The Off-Campus Student Union recently set itself up to learn that a lot of things are easier said than done.

The group is registering students to receive newswire e-mails that will keep them informed about the happenings in State College and foster a sense of community.

Union President Ryan Bennington said the newswire will include features such as renters' rights and guest columns, as well as provide students with useful information on the State College Borough Council and the union.

As ambitious and well-intentioned as the union's plan is, the idea is also too far-fetched to ever work effectively.

After a few weeks, organizers will likely find it increasingly difficult to circulate e-mails with enough worthwhile news content to warrant regular updates.

They may also find it tough to maintain and update the e-mail addresses of the students who want to receive the newswire.

However, only the method, not the original idea, is off target.

Many students could use a reliable source to answer questions about apartment searching, drinking laws and local emergency resources, but instead of a newswire, a regularly updated Web site would be more feasible for all parties involved.

The task of setting up an informative newswire service is a daunting one. But by creating a Web site, the Union would need only to advertise the URL and wait for the idea to catch on. As students begin to use the Web site more frequently, it will eventually grow to sell itself.

If the union is interested in helping students, it shouldn't send out newswire e-mails just for the sake of doing something tangible. It would benefit not only the students but also the union to send e-mail updates only when there is information that is pertinent to students' lives.

Renters' rights don't exactly change weekly, and State College Mayor Bill Welch might not have the time to contribute an interesting column regularly.

While the general concept of providing off-campus students with information is commendable, several modifications would maximize the effectiveness of this endeavor.