Freshmen are quickly learning the joys of free food and merchandise during NSO. Upperclassmen can now take part by grabbing a free notebook around campus.
All By Students, a student-run notebook company founded in Chicago, will be partnering with Penn Student Agencies to distribute 12,000 free notebooks on campus this fall.
With 7,000 remaining, the notebooks are available at various sites around campus, including the PSA office in Williams Hall, at Williams Cafe and at the newly opened Reel Scoops in Houston Hall.
ABS started as a pilot project at Northwestern University two years ago, and having found success, it now gives out free notebooks to more than 1.1 million students on 110 college campuses.
Daniel Martz, the company's CEO, said its founders wanted to help advertisers better target students by providing them with merchandise that they would find most useful.
"There is branding that is going to happen either way, so our thought is to simply redistribute the money in order to help both the companies and the students," he added.
The company pays for the cost of the notebooks by placing ads from retailers - such as AT&T; and Geico - within the pages.
The benefit for PSA is the free advertising they get from eight pages of PSA-related information in the front of the notebooks.
"This is something for the whole Penn community," said PSA human resources manager and College senior Robby Harding.
The notebooks have been a success with not only the students but also with many parents and faculty members who have been picking them up.
"It's a good idea because it gives students an opportunity to get stuff that they need for free and to build a connection with PSA," Engineering sophomore Yash Saini said.
He added that this would also help ease the financial burden of buying many notebooks.
Students are also enjoying the fact that the notebooks are eco-friendly - made from recycled paper.
"It's great because people can feel good about being environmentally friendly," said Nursing sophomore Katherine Goldschmidt, who received a notebook near the high rises.
PSA plans to continue this partnership and distribute the notebooks each semester, said Wharton senior and marketing manager of PSA Eric Fernandez.
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