Show Letters to the Editor Students Gouged on Books Dear Editor HAVING recently received a degree from at the tender age of 45 J have but one complaint in an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable stroll through the halls of academia Perhaps if I were half my age like the majority of my fellow bruin classmates and hadn hadn't t already earned countless degrees from the school of hard knocks including a masters in the value of a buck I wouldn't wouldn t begrudge the thousands of dollars spent on required textbooks Just an unavoidable part of the cost of education you say I disagree and my reasons are twofold 1 The majority of these required texts are used very little if at all in the classroom The catch- catch catchall all phrase seems to be- be review the material covered today in chapters so and so son with the obligatory but seldom followed through with threat threat- remember come test time you will be responsible for the text textbook textbook textbook book material 2 Because the texts are being constantly revised and new editions written used books are often hard to fi find d and often unavailable These same reasons explain explain explain ex ex- plain why it is often impossible to find a buyer for your texts when you are through not using them What can be done I have a few suggestions suggestions suggestions 1 Allow individual teachers to decide whether or not to use the suggested text many do anyway If the text is to be used for little more than reference make it available in sufficient numbers in the library 2 Take any necessary steps to tomake tomake tomake make used books available t to those students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents who think 2 1 price or less is a good deal 3 Make the college bookstore a nonprofit nonprofit nonprofit non non- profit organization where ones student I ID JD D would ensure a good deal instead of a gouge The cost of higher education is high enough without compounding the problem with a system designed to make money on those who struggle to obtain a degree George Baddley Graduate |