Music service draining student activities fee
Ben Salkowe
Issue date: 2/24/05 Section: Center Spread
A committee of students from the Student Government Association (SGA) and Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) has decided to extend the College's agreement with Napster, the streaming music service for students being funded through the student activities fee (SAF). "Based on the results of [a] survey and the data we are able to compile about how many students use the service and how many songs they download, it became apparent to us that there was certainly a demand to continue with a downloadable music service," said SGA President Andrew Jacobi '05.
What most students surveyed did not know, however, was the amount of money being paid to Napster for its service. Napster's contracts require schools not to tell students how much their service costs. "Contractually we're not supposed to tell what we pay," said Dave Donahue, associate dean of library and information services.
While Napster refuses to let schools discuss the program's cost with students, The Campus has learned that the SGA allocated $10,000 this year for Napster and is predicting an annual cost of $20,000 to continue the offering Napster next year. Although only 50 percent of the campus uses the Napster service, all students pay for it through the SAF, an annual $220 fee which all students are required to pay for funding of student organizations. The SAF was raised $20 this year, however according to Doug Adams, director of the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership, that increase was to cover giving yearbooks at no cost to all seniors.
The actual cost of providing service for every student is believed to have been just under $40,000, however an unidentified outside sponsor paid part of the costs, and not all students took advantage of the service. None of the students or administrators involved in the agreement would name the sponsor - some of the program's extreme critics believe the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sponsors Napster college programs in their first year to encourage well-known schools to join the program. Napster did not respond to several requests for comment on this article.
What most students surveyed did not know, however, was the amount of money being paid to Napster for its service. Napster's contracts require schools not to tell students how much their service costs. "Contractually we're not supposed to tell what we pay," said Dave Donahue, associate dean of library and information services.
While Napster refuses to let schools discuss the program's cost with students, The Campus has learned that the SGA allocated $10,000 this year for Napster and is predicting an annual cost of $20,000 to continue the offering Napster next year. Although only 50 percent of the campus uses the Napster service, all students pay for it through the SAF, an annual $220 fee which all students are required to pay for funding of student organizations. The SAF was raised $20 this year, however according to Doug Adams, director of the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership, that increase was to cover giving yearbooks at no cost to all seniors.
The actual cost of providing service for every student is believed to have been just under $40,000, however an unidentified outside sponsor paid part of the costs, and not all students took advantage of the service. None of the students or administrators involved in the agreement would name the sponsor - some of the program's extreme critics believe the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sponsors Napster college programs in their first year to encourage well-known schools to join the program. Napster did not respond to several requests for comment on this article.