To access netnews, one needs a newsreading program.  One asks the local
wizards whether this is on one's system, or one may experiment by typing
commands at the system prompt and seeing what happens.  Typical commands
would be
 
  rn
  nn
  tin
 
If any of these gets you a response other than an error message, try
asking for a 'manpage' -- e.g., if rn turned out to 'do something', you'd
type
 
  man rn
 
at the system prompt.
 
All in all, it's easier to ask a knowledgeable person, if one could be
found on campus.
 
 
hope this helps.
 
--bayla