Yard Bulletin Goes Electric

Starting today, first-year students will no longer find Yard Bulletins dropped at their doors.

The weekly bulletin of information from the Freshman Dean's Office can be received by any student with access to the computer network, said Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth S. Nathans.

The objective, Nathans said, is to reduce the cost of paper and photocopying and to lessen the number of trees Harvard uses in paper production.

Nathans, who describes herself as formerly "computer-phobic," said this switch will help students to become more comfortable with computers.

Nathans says she recognizes that this new method will cause some inconveniences for students who do not have accounts or do not like to use computers.

For these reasons, she says, paper copies of the Bulletin are still available--on proctor bulletin boards, in the Freshman Union and in the Freshman Dean's Office.

"We are not forcing students to have an account. For the vast majority of students using computers, this is a good step to take," said Nathans.

Student reaction to this change was mixed. Many expressed dissatisfaction at the news of the new plan.

"I hate it. I want it back on paper," Rachel S. Averbuck '97 said.

"It is unfair to the population in general," said Dana D. Dore '97.

Many students said that they would not receivethe pertinent information given in the Bulletin.

"People aren't going to make the extra effortto set up an account just to read the YardBulletin. A lot more people will be a lot lessinformed," Ayanna A. Cage '97 said.

Other students expressed concern over theinconvenience of having to travel to the ScienceCenter to receive the information.

"I will have to trek all the way over to theScience Center in the snow and the sleet to getthis information," said Averbuck.

"You are responsible for this information andsome people don't check e-mail...There could besomething important and you wouldn't know," Doresaid.

Many students said they are unhappy with thenew plan because they enjoy reading information onpaper and holding on to their Bulletins asreminders of important dates and events.

Others said they did not believe that theamount of paper saved would be significant incomparison to what is wasted every day.

"I think that 1, 600 pieces of paper is arelatively insignificant number to the world'sforests," David P. Brunton '97 said.

Despite the discontentment of many students,some first-years supported Dean Nathans' goal ofreducing the amount of paper circulating in theYard.

"I recognize the environmental side of theissue which says that e-mail is environmentallysafer than 1,000 printed copies of the YardBulletin," Diallo A. Riddle '97 said.

"There's too much paper lying around [my] roomanyway. [Computerized Yard Bulletin] won'tgenerate more trash," Dan S. Quint '97 said. TheBulletin "usually gets dropped and stepped on andthrown out."

First-years also supported Dean Nathans' aim ofencouraging students to become more computerliterate.

"I think Harvard students need to be on theground floor of this information superhighwayrevolution," Riddle said.

To access Yard Bulletin, type "gopher" when youget to the "husc" prompt on the student computernetwork. A menu of options will appear, includingthe Yard Bulletin (choice 8). The Bulletin canalso be accessed through the Vine program onlibrary computers

Many students said that they would not receivethe pertinent information given in the Bulletin.

"People aren't going to make the extra effortto set up an account just to read the YardBulletin. A lot more people will be a lot lessinformed," Ayanna A. Cage '97 said.

Other students expressed concern over theinconvenience of having to travel to the ScienceCenter to receive the information.

"I will have to trek all the way over to theScience Center in the snow and the sleet to getthis information," said Averbuck.

"You are responsible for this information andsome people don't check e-mail...There could besomething important and you wouldn't know," Doresaid.

Many students said they are unhappy with thenew plan because they enjoy reading information onpaper and holding on to their Bulletins asreminders of important dates and events.

Others said they did not believe that theamount of paper saved would be significant incomparison to what is wasted every day.

"I think that 1, 600 pieces of paper is arelatively insignificant number to the world'sforests," David P. Brunton '97 said.

Despite the discontentment of many students,some first-years supported Dean Nathans' goal ofreducing the amount of paper circulating in theYard.

"I recognize the environmental side of theissue which says that e-mail is environmentallysafer than 1,000 printed copies of the YardBulletin," Diallo A. Riddle '97 said.

"There's too much paper lying around [my] roomanyway. [Computerized Yard Bulletin] won'tgenerate more trash," Dan S. Quint '97 said. TheBulletin "usually gets dropped and stepped on andthrown out."

First-years also supported Dean Nathans' aim ofencouraging students to become more computerliterate.

"I think Harvard students need to be on theground floor of this information superhighwayrevolution," Riddle said.

To access Yard Bulletin, type "gopher" when youget to the "husc" prompt on the student computernetwork. A menu of options will appear, includingthe Yard Bulletin (choice 8). The Bulletin canalso be accessed through the Vine program onlibrary computers