Now that the Iowa State Student Government has decided to not continue to provide all Iowa State students and faculty with a free subscription to the New York Times, the ISD Editorial Board would like to remind students to pay their subscription fees for the media they use. 

College is expensive no matter if your parents are paying your tuition, you are utilizing loans or you are paying directly out of pocket – tuition isn’t the only expense that students face. Books, groceries, laundry, transportation and entertainment are just a few examples. 

Entertainment doesn’t have to mean going to the bars, out to eat or to the movie theater every night, it can also mean subscriptions to magazines, streaming services or news outlets. And although these services may not be cheap, it’s important to pay the fees if you use them and not try to go around them. 

Although it’s not illegal for people to share their accounts with others, it may be illegal to try to download movies online in order to watch them for free. Downloading these “free” movies also puts your computer at risk for viruses which could end up costing you in order to get rid of them. 

Beside the fact that it’s illegal and a source of risk for computer viruses, it’s also disrespectful to the original media source. Whether that be a film or TV company, a music artist or a news media organization, you are stealing from them when you illegally download or find a way to get around your subscription fees. 

However there is a way to save a few bucks when it comes to entertainment for students which is completely legal. Many news organizations, such as the New York Times offer reduced fees for students, so they can access the news without breaking the bank. 

Earlier this year, the TV-streaming service Hulu and the music streaming service Spotify came together to offer a bundled subscription to both services for a reduced fee, exclusively for students. 

There are other options to access cheaper entertainment than illegally downloading it online and as an editorial board, we urge everyone, especially frugal college students to seek out the legal options. 

You wouldn’t expect free food at a restaurant, so don’t expect free services from media and entertainment sources.