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Tuesday • June 7, 1994
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OPINION
Page 5
From new texts to buybacks, bookstore can’t control prices
E very student at Texas A&M has
been in one, if not both, of the
following situations:
• It’s the beginning of a new
semester and you’ve just come back
from break. Classes start soon and it’s
time to do the dreaded deed: buying
textbooks. After fighting the crowd to
pick out the needed books, not finding
any used ones and waiting in a long
line to get to the register, it’s now time
to actually purchase them. The cashier rings them up and the total
comes out equal to about half the national deficit.
• The semester ends and it’s time to sell back the textbooks.
You’ve been waiting all semester long to sell that one book that is so
hated. After waiting in a long line, it’s finally time to sell it. The
problem: either the books can’t be bought back or they’ll only give
you peanuts for it...
That damned bookstore, they just stick it to the students!
As a customer of the Texas A&M Bookstore, I have faced these
situations. As an employee of the Texas A&M Bookstore, I’ve had to
tell people how much their books will cost or for how little they will
be bought back.
Everyone always complains about the bookstores but, at the same
time, no one ever tries to find out a reason for why things are the
way they are. We are content to just blame the messenger.
There are so many assumptions made that it was time that
someone found out exactly what goes on and why.
The first question is about the prices of books — Why
do they cost so much? “The reason for a book’s price is due
to the extensive research, royalty, development and
marketing costs associated with their individual
production,” said Gary Spearow, general manager of the
Texas A&M Bookstore. In other words, the publisher
determines the price, not the bookstore. Sure, but the
bookstore just jacks up the price, right? According to the
Association of American Publishers, only 25 percent of
every new textbook
dollar goes to college
bookstores. This money goes to
cover the stores’ expenses on
freight, personnel and operations.
The rest of the money goes to the
publisher and author. As for used
books, their price is determined
by the price of new ones and
adjusted accordingly.
Another question often asked
concerns the availability of used
books: Why aren’t there ever any? “If there are new editions of books
being published or a faculty member chooses a title that’s never
been used before, no used books are available for us to sell. We try to
make as many used books available as possible by buying back as
many as the time frame constraints between semesters will allow
us,” said Barry Waters, textbook manager of the Texas A&M
bookstore. Also, used books are put on the shelves first. If there
aren’t any, it’s because other students already bought them all.
This answer leads to the last question, the one that causes the
most anger: Why doesn’t the bookstore ever buy back books for a
decent amount of money? There are two ways for books to be bought
back, either at retail prices or wholesale prices. Books bought back
at retail receive the most money and will be sold for the next
semester. Wholesale books are not bought back by the bookstore, but
rather by a wholesaler who determines the price. All books cannot
be bought back at retail because of the law of supply and demand.
There are too many books being sold back for them
all to resell at retail. Likewise, the wholesaler pays
according to how many it has already bought back.
This explains why the amounts change.
One common reason why books cannot be bought
back at all is that publishers will come out with a
new edition of a book. Another is that a professor
may decide that a different book should be used.
Or, the professor will not be teaching that same
class the following semester. In these cases, the
book may not be bought back.
The bookstores are not out to get anyone and
most of the time it’s not their fault for much of what happens. The
faculty of Texas A&M decides what titles will be used, the publishers J
decide what editions will be available. The people wearing name tags '
in the bookstore have no control over either group. Believe me, no
employee takes a chauffeured limousine to work.
Chris S. Cobb is a senior English major
CHRIS S.
COBB
Columnist
Only 25 percent of every new text
book dollar goes to bookstores, and
covers the stores' expenses on freight,
personnel and operations. The rest
goes to the publisher and author.
Entertainers glamorize smoking
Medical experts, celebrities send out conflicting messages
T alk about
pressure. I
have never
seen a country go
hard on a specific
group of its own
citizens. A
Congressional
committee is
considering
legislation to ban smoking in all
buildings utilized by ten or more people
at a time. Another House subcommittee
is thinking of a $1.25 tax on each pack of
cigarettes sold in the United States. The
commissioner of the Food and Drug
Administration, David Kessler, has
indicated that he would use his power to
classify nicotine as a regulated drug if
given the chance. Florida and Mississippi
were the first of several states that have
initiated lawsuits against tobacco
companies, claiming that the companies
should be liable for the medical expenses
incurred by citizens with smoking related
diseases. Surgeon General Joycelyn
Elders has issued a report that nicotine
is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
Okay, but didn’t Mel Gibson look cool
with a cigar in “Maverick?” Wasn’t
Sharon Stone sexy with a cigarette in
“Basic Instinct?”
While mass media sends us an anti
smoking message, the entertainment
industry sends us the opposite. Dennis
Leary, Andrew Dice Clay, the
characters in “Reality Bites” and “Basic
Instinct,” to name a few, don’t just
glamorize smoking. They are high-
grossing industries. Even if parents of
teenagers don’t smoke, their movie and
music idols do.
The harmful effects of smoking do not
seem to apply to our celluloid and video
heroes. It is true that the visual
instances of people
smoking in films
and on television
has decreased
dramatically since
smoking came
under heavy fire for
its health risks, but
there are still areas
of popular
entertainment where smokers are
spokespersons. Maddeningly, it seems
the more controversial the film or the
film star, the more attractive his or her
habits become to young followers.
The media is trying especially hard to
convince us that smoking is morally
reprehensible, sinful and dangerous.
Perhaps this is the wrong way to prevent
young people from picking up the habit.
There is no better way to make an
activity attractive to adolescents than to
convince them it will irritate someone.
Come on. You remember when you were
16 and it was cool to put cherry bombs in
the toilets, do doughnuts in your father’s
Oldsmobile or sneak cigarettes behind
the gym. James Dean was not a teenage
idol because he got good grades.
Growing up in America is a constant
struggle of making the team, getting
accepted into the peer group, getting
invited to parties and aggravating your
parents. There are those few awkward
years where doing something
mischievous puts most American kids in
the “in” crowd. To many young people,
this mischievous thing is not only
wrapping houses with toilet paper for
homecoming, but to sneak a cigarette
with your date. People of the younger
generation often hide their smoking
habit from parents, perhaps believing
that parental disapproval is related
somehow to getting sent to the principal's
i 1 rhmS v
office for throwing erasers in class.
From personal experience, I can tell
you I started smoking again several
times after trying to quit. I went to a
movie to escape my own friends who
smoked, only to find my screen heroes
looking very cool dragging on a cigarette,
often during a glamourous activity or
after sex. Worse is the hypocrisy of
banning cigarettes from domestic
airliners, then showing John Wayne
puffing his way through World War II
throughout the in-flight movie. People
who smoke are herded into inconvenient
little areas or cast out altogether, while
movies and music continue to reinforce
the image of the young rebel looking cool
with a cigar and a beer. No matter how
many times we are reminded how
unhealthy it is, the glamour is still there
in the movies and videos.
If the anti-smoking movement is to
succeed, there has to be a widespread
rejection of smoking by teenagers and
their role models, not just authority
figures and politicians like Henry
Waxman, a congressional leader in anti
smoking legislation. Regardless of their
message, David Kessler and Joyceylyn
Elders are rarely role models, unlike Mel
Gibson and Sharon Stone.
If you know a smoker, you may think
that it is simple to convince them that
what they are doing is bad. For most,
quitting requires a behavioral change
and is most successful if there is no peer
group reminding reformed smokers of
what they are missing. Pay close
attention to how smokers respond to your
chastisement for their habit. Younger
people might think the more flak they
get, the cooler their vice.
Julia Stavenhagen is a graduate
anthropology student
The Battalion
Editorial Board
Mark Evans, Editor in chief
William Harrison, Managing editor
Jay Robbins, Opinion Editor
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect
the views of the editorial board. They do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of other
Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M
student body, regents, administration, faculty
or staff.
Columns, guest columns, cartoons and
letters express tne opinions of the authors.
Contact the opinion editor for information
on submitting guest columns.
JEJDIXORJAL - l m s&m ' m -
Protecting public trust
Rostenkowski should have stepped down
U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski was
indicted last week on 17 felony
charges that included embezzlement
of government funds, mail fraud and
obstruction of justice. He automatical
ly lost the chairmanship of the House
Ways and Means Committee the
moment the indictment was re
turned. In response, Ros
tenkowski said, “Truth is on
my side.”
Truth aside, Ros
tenkowski should have re
signed from his com
mittee post on his
own, well before the
indictments were
handed down. The
public good de
pends on the
smooth work
ings of the
government.
For the sake of protecting the office he
holds, Rostenkowski should have re
moved himself from responsibilities
beyond his duties for his Chicago con
stituency while he dealt with any
charges of ethics violations or illegal
activities.
If the truth is on his side, then Ros
tenkowski would not have harmed
himself by stepping down from the
chairmanship.
By steadfastly clinging to the pow
erful position, he has attached the
shadow of his personal problems to the
workings of the federal government. 1
Such behavior can only damage public {
confidence in the government and the J
integrity of Congress. If America’s j
leaders are going to keep the public *
trust, then they cannot appear to ac- ‘
cept or defend any unethical or il- l
legal behavior. [
Although Rostenkowski must ;
be presumed innocent until <
proven guilty, the indictments
are a proper response to the
accusations of unethical
and illegal activities
which have hounded
him for months. He
knew and understood
the rules, yet allega
tions indicate that he
chose not to abide
by them.
The indict
ments claim he
used public funds for personal gain, lav
ished gifts bought with government
money on pals and cronies and put ghost
employees on his payroll to kick back
paychecks to his office.
Rostenkowski is widely respected as
a veteran lawmaker with the ability to
make things happen, build political
coalitions and effectively steer legisla
tion through the House of Representa
tives. Yet, he is still a public servant,
and those talents do not exempt any
one from the obligation to put the pub
lic trust ahead of themselves.
Give someone a fish and they can eat for a day.
Teach someone to fish and the/ can eat for a lifetime •••
Call
Restaurant couldn't compete
I am a local restaurateur who would like to say
THANK YOU to the Aggies, faculty, and staff of
Texas A&M University. I appreciate your patron
age for the past two-and-a-half years. I have en
joyed serving and meeting each and every one of
you, but as of May 12 I will be closing my doors
due to the franchises that will be going in on cam
pus. I do not feel that I can survive as a small
businessman against big companies that can un
dercut me and out-coupon me. Don’t get me wrong,
I do believe in free enterprise; but myself and oth
er local restaurateurs did not have a fair opportu
nity to go in on campus. Over a year ago I began a
petition of protest against A&M for the privatiza
tion of food vendors. I was overwhelmed by the
support I got from students, faculty, and the Aggie
Mothers organization. I would like to point out the
main objective that I expressed to the student
council when I met with them at our TEA meeting,
— that this is not Houston or Dallas with a million
-plus population, this is a community of 100,000:
42,000 students and 20,000 faculty and staff that
make up the majority of these two towns. Myself
and other small businessmen depend on this com
munity to survive. When the time comes when Ag
gies (the core of this community) don’t have a tra
ditional place to dunk their rings, then maybe
someone will realize that the businesses and com
munity that has always supported the University
means nothing to the University that has gotten
greedy, and would rather be self-contained and iso
lated from the local community.
Spanky (Danny Dodd)
Bryan
Student feels effects of crime
You never realize just how much crime there
is in the world until you are a victim of it. The
deaths of Reginald Broadus and Crystal Miller
really hit home and made me see just how unfair
the world can be.
Crystal was my roommate my freshman year
and we continued to remain close friends. I will
never understand why we were robbed of her pres
ence, because she had so much to give to this
world. She alone changed my life. Not only did she
teach me not to judge people because of their
skin color, but she also taught me the true value
of friendship. I will always remember her taking
the time to excel in everything she did, yet she
always made time for those who needed her.
Crystal was a beautiful and loving person and
will be greatly missed.
Nixa Delrie
Class of '95
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