Students aim for first college paper iPad app

When the Apple iPad hits stores later this month, big publications such as The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal won't be the only ones with slick apps for reading their papers and watching videos. Add the twice-weekly student newspaper at Abilene Christian University in West Texas to your list of iPad app downloads.

Students and faculty across three departments at the 4,800-student ACU have just finished mockups of their app and plan to have it ready to launch when the iPad goes on sale –- even though at most only 50 faculty members will have iPads by the start of the fall semester.

"Really, we want to be part of this national, international conversation of how does news look in the future," says Colter Hettich, the editor-in-chief of The Optimist.

Apple announced today that the iPad debut will be delayed until April 3, with pre-orders being taken March 12.