The new semester began on campus with a new program – the Collegiate Readership Program. Students can find free copies of the Omaha World-Herald, The New York Times, and the USA Today throughout campus.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of this four week pilot program.
When most people talk about The New York Times, they talk about its liberal slant. I’m not going to get into that debate, but I’m going to tell you how to get the most out of your New York Times reading experience.
Obviously, the Times is going to cover national and world news – it’s a newspaper, but it has much more to offer. I’m going to talk about the differences between each daily edition. If you don’t want to read news in the Times, you can pick one up and read about so much more.
If you like to read editorials, then take a look at the editorial calendar below. I’ve never been a huge reader of editorials, but when I do read them, I usually read Friedman and Krugman. All of the New York Times columnists are among the best in the business, its just a matter of reading them and finding who you like.
David Brooks Thursday, Sunday
Maureen Dowd Wednesday, Saturday
Thomas L. Friedman Wednesday, Friday
Bob Herbert Monday, Thursday
Nicholas D. Kristof Tuesday, Sunday
Paul Krugman Monday, Friday
Frank Rich Sunday
Now that I got the boring stuff out of the way, let’s talk about some of the exciting things you can find in each week-day edition of the Times.
Monday
In Monday’s paper, my must read section is a small little feature called the “Metropolitan Diary.” This is an enjoyable read and it can found in the front section of the paper (A section) – it’s usually in the back of right before the editorials and ironically next to the obituaries. This is probably the closest thing the paper has to cartoons. Readers submit anecdotes (usually only a few paragraphs) about a real-life experience they had in New York. These stories are usually funny, but sometimes to truly appreciate how funny it is you have to know a little bit about New York. Give this section a try. You probably won’t fall out of your seat in laughter, but you will probably have a grin on your face.
Also, if you’re a sports fan, then you may want to pick up a Monday edition. Monday’s paper has its own section dedicated to sports called “Sports Monday.” Throughout the rest of the week, the sports section is usually buried in the back of the Business section.
Tuesday
If you like science, then pick up the Tuesday NYT and go to the Science Times. I usually don’t read this section, but I always flip through because I sometimes find a story that is very interesting. When I do read the section, I try to read the Personal Health column by Jane Brody – it’s usually pretty interesting.
Wednesday
The highlight of this day is the Dining In/Dining Out section. Each week is totally different. One week you’ll find cooking ideas and recipes, and the next week dining reviews.
Thursday
By far my favorite week-day edition! This one day features Thursday Styles, House and Home, and for the geeks it has Circuits (which is buried in the Business section).
Thursday Styles is not just about clothing; it has a lot of other interesting articles. Check it out.
Friday
I don’t read the Friday paper as often as I should. Friday, just like most newspapers, features movie reviews. I don’t read the Arts section of the NYT as often as I should, but on Tuesday I think they have DVD and Music Reviews. They have TV show and media reviews scattered throughout the week. You just have to flip through the Arts section each day to find what interests you.
Other Information:
By far the best edition of The New York Times is Sunday. The Sunday Times is a reading experience. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get this for free on campus. You can buy a Sunday edition at bookstores for $5.00, or you can become a subscriber. The Times offers an educational discount so take advantage of it.
Also, check out the NY Times website. You will need to register to read some of the stories, and some of the stories require you to be a paid subscriber. One of the best features at their website is the Most Popular feature. This page will show you the articles that everyone else is reading and recommending to their friends. It’s a great way to find really interesting articles that you may have missed.
So, I hope this helps all those college kids that have never read The New York Times. There’s no reason to be intimidated by the paper. Pick it up, read it, and you might learn more from the paper than you do in class that day.
I’m so glad that UNO is bringing this program to the campus. It’s a minimal cost to us students, and it really enhances student awareness of current events, whether they are local, through the World-Herald, or national, through USA Today and the New York Times. I hope that this program will be fully instituted next year. And I hope that all UNO students continue to take advantage of it.