I own a printer, but I have not had black ink since freshman year. I am now a junior. Because I’m tired of explaining to professors that the blue ink is not a creative choice, I try to get most of my printing done in McTrib or Fisk, so I can abuse Medill’s resources. The pile of requisite electronic devices gathering dust in the corner of my closet makes me feel relatively guiltless about this. But when I’m in a rush and can’t swing by the southern tip of campus, I man up and shell out the change to print in the library.

Here’s the thing, though: Those sleek new Macs in the info commons may look super cute, but they require entering one’s NetID and password for each document he or she might want to print. This may not sound like a big deal, but when I am already five minutes late for discussion section and need to print 10 different articles, then underline arbitrary sentences to make it look like I read, it is a significant increase in the stress level of my morning.

I respectfully request that this additional security be reconsidered. With the time I save, I may be able to actually read a paragraph or two of the articles I print.

Ali Elkin is a Medill junior and The Daily co-web editor. She can be reached at [email protected].