The Rice Thresher, Vol. 97, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, September 4, 2009 Page: 4 of 36
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4 ADVERTISEMENT
the Rice Thresher
Friday, September 4,2009
Rising book prices drive students online
by Josh Rutenberg
Thresher Editorial Staff
Amidst all the financial con-
straints swirling in 2009, students are
looking to cut costs at every corner.
For most, that entails pinching pen-
nies in textbook fees.
From scouring online market-
places, to turning to the Student As-
sociation, to settling for the stacks at
Fondren Library, students like Erica
Herris have gone to many lengths to
save money on their books.
"My books were $50 cheaper on-
line," Harris, a Wiess College fresh-
man, said. She added that she
bought several of her textbooks on
Amazon.com this year, purchas-
ing only a few textbooks at the
Rice Bookstore.
Other students took a more local
approach, seeking out friends and
fellow students who took the course
in previous years. The Student Asso-
ciation's Textbook Marketplace, a Web
site where students can post textbooks
for sale or search for textbooks to buy,
has led to a network for buying and
selling textbooks among students,
lones College senior Susan Wu is one
of several students using this system,
which was started a few years ago.
"1 usually buy from Half.com or Am-
azon, but [textbooks] I can't get online
1 get from other students," Wu said. "It
doesn't work well for intro classes, but
in upper division classes it does."
But Amazon and the Textbook
Marketplace have not been the only
alternatives available for Rice stu-
dents wishing to avoid the full price
of textbooks. In 1999, the Victor E.
Cameron Professor of Engineering
Richard Baraniuk presented his
project, Connexions, at a Rice Al-
liance meeting. Connexions, a Web
site that provides an alternative to
physical textbooks, allows students
and faculty to create small sections
of information called "modules,"
then edit and organize them into
Where do Rice students go to buy their textbooks?
Data compiled from 85 undergraduates
Friends
Campus Boofcstoro
Other Websites
AbeBooks.com
SA Marketplace
Amazonxom
efta . &« Hatf.cam
GRAPH BY ALEX GORISCHEK
textbooks specific to the course of
a professor.
Electrical and computational
engineering professor Don John-
son said he found the Connexions
module more convenient than using
the bookstore.
"I can write the notes, fix errors
easily, print-on-demand, and it has
exactly the material I need for my
courses," Johnson said.
Johnson, the first professor to con-
tribute to Connexions, said students
can either access the material online
for free or order a copy through the
Bookstore for around $20.
Johnson said textbook prices have
gotten out of hand in recent years, as
some textbooks have risen to $120 for
around 300 pages, compared with the
$20 textbooks he uses in his electrical
engineering classes.
Some professors have provided their
students with alternative means to buy-
ing the books, or have found compara-
ble books at better prices. French stud-
ies professor Julie Fette said she sends
her students to French Web sites so that
they can purchase the textbooks for her
BamesandlNobie.com
Oegg.com
classes at more reasonable prices.
"[The Language Department] has
problems with the cost of books in
foreign languages," Assistant Profes-
sor of French Studies Julie Fette said.
"Translation creates a large markup
at the bookstore."
The reserves at Fondren Library
also allow Fette and other professors
to set aside books for students, which
provides an option for classes such
as Fette's that work from a variety of
texts instead of a single textbook.
Professor of Humanities Debo-
rah Nelson-Campbell provides her
students with a packet specifically
tailored to her class, instead of a
traditional textbook. Several years
ago, Nelson-Campbell said she
began putting together a packet
that better suited the needs of her
course. The rising cost of textbooks
has not escaped her notice either.
"I used to use an anthology,
but it didn't have the selection I
wanted," Nelson-Campbell said.
"I don't know what the prices [of
textbooks] were then, but now
they're exorbitant."
STUDENT ASSOCIATION MINUTES
The following were noted at the most recent meeting
of the Student Association on Aug. 31. The SA will meet
Monday, Sept. 7, at 10 p.m. at Farnsworth Pavilion.
■ All of the college presidents, except for the Baker College president,
who was absent, and SA President Patrick McAnaney took shots com-
memorating the new academic year.
■ McAnaney, a Brown College senior, went over the goals for this year,
which include creating more regular channels of communication with
university offices, enhancing participation in the committees via the
project database Web site and increasing the number of senator and
New Student Representative projects.
■ McAnaney gave an overview of Sammy's Picnic. He said the Athletics
Department was pleased with the turnout.
■ McAnaney noted two new resources available this year: the clubs
portal, located at clubs.rice.edu, where all clubs will be registered;
and the student events calendar, at studenievents.rice.edu/calendar,
where on-campus activities will be posted.
■ McAnaney announced the fall retreat for SA members will be Sept. 17
in Sewall Hall. Any member of the SA, which includes the entire stu-
dent body, is welcome to attend. It will be a brainstorming session for
the 2009-10 year.
■ Internal Vice President Selim Sheikh said the NSR welcome dinner will
be Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Founders' Room in Lovett Hall.
■ External Vice President Amber Makhani announced the arrival of this
year's HedgeHopper cards. The SA Web site, sa.rice.edu, details stores
and restaurants participating this year. Makhani, a Martel College
sophomore, said to check back regularly because there will be updates
to the list of participating businesses.
■ Makhani said the SA and the Graduate Student Association will be
establishing a partnership. There have been efforts to get an SA-GSA
mentorship program started for undergrads who would like to work
with a graduate mentor, she said.
■ Makhani reminded those in attendance about the upcoming Families'
Weekend, from Sept. 24-27. The last day to register is Sept. 8.
■ McAnaney announced the at-large U-Court nominations: Jones College
sophomore Paul Fitzgerald, Wiess College junior Austin Lipinski, Jones
College junior Michael Taylor and Hanszen College senior Eileen Ong.
There was no debate on nominees, so these nominees are final. The
SA will vote to appoint the nominees at the next meeting.
Xj a z a r d
Will be holding interviews for
Analyst positions in its Investment Banking Group
On
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Seniors interested in interviewing with us at our Houston office
should submit resumes and cover letters through RICElink
by August 31st
For additional information, please contact:
Kristen Holzer: Kristen.Holzer@lazard.com
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Michel, Casey. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 97, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, September 4, 2009, newspaper, September 4, 2009; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443128/m1/4/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.