Daily textbook shopping suggestions are ‘dead on’
To the Daily:
The Daily’s editorial (Buying books, 01/07/2005) was dead on. The University offers many much-needed, non-academic services to its students like Student Legal Services and AirBus — but in the important task of textbook purchasing, the University leaves students out in the cold — literally; the line of chilly students outside Shaman Drum grows daily.
Those shivering students deserve a better textbook purchasing system — one that continues to encourage patronage of local businesses like Shaman Drum, Ulrichs and Michigan Book & Supply, because these businesses use enormous amounts of capital to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars of books each year. Students should not, however, be bound to these businesses and should be able to purchase books from any seller they choose — particularly online booksellers.
Information is key to this approach. Textbook information can be integrated into the Literature, Science & Arts course guide so that students can take book costs into consideration when choosing classes. A separate, stand alone website could also prove useful by enabling departments to submit textbook information whenever it’s available.
Placing the burden on private textbook sellers and students is not the answer. Textbooks are essential items for instruction, and it is the University’s responsibility to institutionalize the distribution process. The current, antiquated system is simply unacceptable. It relies on poor information and high cost, and it results in major aggravation for students.
Mike Roth
LSA senior
Texas fan compliments ‘U’ football tradition
To the Daily:
As a Texas fan who attended the Rose Bowl game, I want to tell you how impressed I am with the Michigan presence there. As we had never before played Michigan, I had not attended one of your games. Of course, I acknowledge the excellence of your football team. But in addition, your fans are great, your band is great; the classic fight song — your stadium cheer, and all of the other Michigan traditions are impressive. It was wonderful to see these two great universities and football traditions wage one of the all-time great bowl games in the “Granddaddy of ‘em all.”
As Texas coach Mack Brown said during the awards ceremony, it is too bad that one of these teams had to lose.
Congratulations on a great game, a great time and a great university.
James P. Goodnight
Dallas, Texas