Alec Strenge

Wow, we have reached the end of another fantastic year. Congrats to the seniors who will be leaving us for more schooling or perhaps to just be poor and exploited elsewhere. As for me, I’m rockin’ the five-year plan which means more craziness and more columns. This week, I felt compelled to discuss my hatred for college textbooks since we are getting so close to finals week.

As if finals weren’t bad enough, I get the pleasure every semester of getting ripped off at the bookstore. However, I can’t blame the bookstore because they are simply doing a job and providing us with the newest available books. Although they do have a mark-up of 20%, that is actually lower than the 25% one could expect to pay at other stores. The real culprits here are the book Nazis or publishers that are setting the outrageous prices and putting out thousands of new editions that we don’t need.

Here is the bookstore scenario for me at the end of every semester. After a spell in line, I make my way up to the counter and the clerk says, “Sorry new edition, yeah, new edition on that one too, but I can give you three dollars for that book and two dollars a piece for your other two.” Five books and I walk out with seven dollars.

I know that books are improved and new information is added, but doesn’t it seem just a little suspicious sometimes. Philosophy, for instance, the great questions of life based on the work of philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These guys aren’t exactly Tupac coming out with new stuff thousands of years after their deaths. I also wouldn’t guess that the new edition answers any of those life questions like “Why am I here?” or “Does God exist?” Maybe the 40th edition can answer some real life questions like “What’s the best deal on liquor for less than seven dollars?” or “How depressing late-night infomercials are for the fat guy with asthma and a small penis?” Now that would be interesting. If those questions can be answered, than its $80 well spent, otherwise give me my money back.

The book Nazis are in the business of giving us the business and it blows. I have to talk about my Spanish book briefly. I had to take the same class twice because of some alarm clock related problems and I noticed the sixth and seventh editions looked awful similar. There were a few minor word changes but my friend Juan on page four was still on page four in the seventh edition only slightly older. I thought hopefully the seventh edition will teach me how to say some expletives in Spanish. So that way if I ever run into my buddy Juan I can explain to him in his own language how the book nazis screwed me over again.

My point is this, its crazy that we spend so much money on books and yet it never seems like we get more that a year of use out of them. As a society that stresses the importance of education, one would think the system would be more cost efficient. For many students and their families, paying for a college education is difficult and it’s sad that our system exploits them constantly.

Alec Strenge is a senior journalism major

#1.885086:441351845.jpg:alecmug.jpg:Alec Strenge: