UM students are always complaining about the cost of the UM Bookstore and about the lack of buy-back potential of the books they buy. However, several options are becoming increasingly popular among UM students for both purchasing and selling back their textbooks.
According to UM administration, the average cost of books for a student is $775.00 per year. Unfortunately, some students spend far more on their textbooks.
“I spent $450.00 this semester,” junior Sandra Trip said. “It seems like books are getting more expensive every semester.”
Students do have options, though, when it comes to buying their books.
“UM students have it better off than other schools,” said Will Sekoff of Book Horizons. “They have two well-run bookstores nearby to get their books from.”
Many students believe the UM Bookstore has a large selection and is easily accessible.
“I like that the Bookstore is so close, but I hate waiting in the long lines,” sophomore Dan Blanchard said.
Book Horizons, located across US-1 next to Burger King, is celebrating its 50th year in business this month.
“We’ve been here a long time so we have a great reputation for service,” Sekoff said.
Students seem to agree.
“I like Book Horizons better because it’s smaller and there are always people willing to help me find my books,” sophomore Jake Soule said. “Plus, they are so organized that there is never a line.”
Other popular options among students include various websites such as Amazon.com, Half.com, Campusbooks.com and Ecampus.com.
“‘ve bought my books online before. It’s a lot cheaper than the bookstore is,” senior Heather Johnston said.
Some students have reservations about purchasing their textbooks online.
“I know that I could probably find books cheaper online, but then there is the shipping charge and having to wait for the books to arrive,” Traip said.
“The feedback that I get from students about purchasing their textbooks online is that it can be difficult to make sure you get the right edition for the right class,” Sekoff said. “Plus, you’re lacking the personal service, right books and easy returns that a bookstore can give you.”
However, most students are equally concerned about the buy-back price of a book.
“I bought a book last year for $100, but when I went to sell it back I only got $15,” Blanchard said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Buy-back typically takes place at the end of the semester during finals. At that time, you can sell your book back to the bookstore or online.
“We buy back books for the following term, so if a professor is using the book again then we will buy it back for up to 50% of the cost,” said Richard Dunham, textbook manager at the UM Bookstore. “Once we have met our buy-back quota, the remaining books will get only the wholesale value of the book.”
According to UM Bookstore and Book Horizons representatives, timing is everything when it comes to buy-back.
“Sometimes I tell students to wait until April before bringing their books back because they will make more money that way,” Dunham said.
“We try to give students something for their old books because lots of times the Bookstore gives them nothing,” said Paul Strassburg, textbook manager at Book Horizons.
If the buy-back price offered to students is too low, students can sell their books online. However, although selling online can yield a higher return, students say it also takes much more time and effort.
“I’ve heard that you can make a lot of money selling your books online, but I’m just too lazy to go through all of the work,” Blanchard said.
Overall, there are a lot of options out there when it comes to buying or selling books. It’s just a matter of knowing where, when and how to look.

Leigha Taber can be contacted at l.taber@umiami.edu

The Princeton Review recently ranked UM fifth in the nation for “Great College Towns” and sixth for “Most Students From Different Backgrounds Interact” in a nation-wide ranking of colleges. UM was the only Florida school to be ranked in those categories.
“The University of Miami is indeed a diverse institution with students hailing from over 110 countries,” said Dr. Pat Whitely, vice president for student affairs. “Through a variety of activities both in and out of the classroom, diversity is celebrated and recognized as one of the important values of the University of Miami.”
Other categories on the review included “Academics,” “Administration,” “Politics” and “Quality of Life.” Each category had sub-categories, each of which had both a positive and a negative section.
For example, “Professors Get High Marks” was paired with “Professors Suck All Life From Materials,” and “Great Food” was paired with “Is it Food?”
Other sub-categories included: “Lots of Hard Liquor” and “Scotch and Soda: Hold the Scotch,” “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians” and “Future Rotarians and Daughters of the Revolution,” and “School Runs Like Butter”and “Long Lines and Red Tape.”
For the location category, schools were judged by size of the city, beauty of the campus and surrounding areas, climate and resources available to students.
“The moment I stepped on campus, I was sold,” said sophomore Aimee Garcia. “I knew as soon as I saw the palm trees painted across the clear blue sky that this was the school for me.”
For the diversity category, schools were judged on the percentage of non-white students enrolled and on how students from different backgrounds interact with one another.
“This campus boasts significant ethnic diversity and, in a nutshell, students say they are part of a ‘receptive and diverse group,'” the review said.
According to the report, students at UM describe themselves as “high-energy, fun-loving, friendly, and outgoing” but also feel “fiercely competitive” with one another. Also, some students are described by other UM students as “arrogant, self-centered, spoiled rich kids.”
The review goes on to say that sometimes life at UM feels like “a constant fashion contest” and that many students spend much of their free time “getting buff” and “working on their appearance.”
Although some students believe that the diversity of UM is a result of location, meaning that most of the diversity on campus comes from the diverse population of South Florida, most find that UM strives to recruit diverse groups of people from different parts of the U.S. and in many countries throughout the world.
“Yeah, it’s diverse alright,” sophomore Jennifer Wright said. “I mean – hello – my roommate is from Hong Kong.”
Many students take pride in the level of diversity on campus.
“I didn’t come here for the diversity, but I appreciate it now that I’ve experienced it,” junior Shelly Steele said.
“There are so many opportunities for everyone, no matter what race they are,” said Camille Linton, a Jamaican-American student and member of the United Black Students.
Aside from UM, two other Florida schools, UF and FSU, were also highly ranked in several categories of the Princeton Review.
UF ranked tenth in both the “Reefer Madness” and “Dorms Like Dungeons” categories, and fifth in the “Party School” category. FSU ranked third in both the “Lots of Beer” and the “Students (Almost) Never Study” category, and first in the “This is a Library?” category.
“Can we really expect anything more?” Garcia said
The Princeton Review is currently surveying students online at survey.review.com until Feb. 10. For a complete listing of the categories and rankings of the Princeton Review, visit www.princetonreview.com/college.html.

Jaclyn Lisenby and Leigha Taber can be contacted at j.lisenby@umsis.miami.edu and l.taber@miami.edu.

TODAY
Come learn about the Peace Corps in an information session and video presentation, from 12 to 1 p.m. in UC 241. Contact Erin Seiler at 305-284-5398 for more information.

Metropolis will be showing at the Cosford Cinema at 7:15 p.m. Fritz Lang’s epic drama of life in the year 2026 has not been seen in its original version since a brief run in 1927. German archivists, working with material gathered from all surviving versions and using new digital technologies, have restored the film to as close to the original version as we are ever likely to see. The dazzling sets and tens of thousands of extras provide the backdrop for a wild combination of love story and political allegory of man versus machine.

SATURDAY JANUARY 25
Women’s Basketball vs. Syracuse at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center. Wear your beach attire and get free pizza.

Doctoral Recital: Joseph Talleda, piano accompanying and chamber music. 8 p.m. in Clarke Recital Hall (5501 San Amaro Drive).

SUNDAY JANUARY 26

Men’s Basketball vs. Syracuse at 1 p.m. in the Convocation Center. Sign up for the Slam Dunk contest at halftime; call 305-284-5903.

The UM Men’s Soccer Club’s next game will be at Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale at 12 p.m.

Faculty Artist Recital: Richard Kosowski, tenor. 8 p.m. in Gusman Concert Hall (1314 Miller Drive).

TUESDAY JANUARY 28
Women’s Basketball vs. Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center. It’s also Residential Hall Night: greatest attendance wins free pizza.

The spring semester Spiritual Information Fair will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the UC patio. The various student religious organizations of the University will provide information on the variety of religious life on campus. KFC and Kosher pizza will be served.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Chapter will hold a Goldman Sachs Learning Modules/Leadership Development Workshop, at 7 p.m. in UC 233. Direct any questions to RA8046@students.law.miami.edu.

FRIDAY JANUARY 31

Come out and party with young Arab-Americans featuring DJ Nile spinning the latest and hottest Arabic and international music at the Rathskeller. Argeela Night is from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Email oasisofum@yahoogroups.com.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1

Take a FREE GMAT, LSAT, or MCAT practice test at Kaplan’s Test Drive. To enroll, call 305-284-0090.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11
Are you in the process of selecting a major or considering a change of major? Are you possibly interested in adding a major? Toppel Career Center will have a Majors Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Whitten University Center Lower Lounge. Come talk with faculty representatives from these schools and colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, Communication, Education and Nursing. The Pre-Law and Honors Programs will also have representatives to whom you will be able to talk.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Chapter will hold an Alumni-Mentor Reception at 7 p.m. in UC 233. Direct any questions to RA8046@students.law.miami.edu.

Join the Wellness Center on Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Wellness Center Atrium for Healthy Heart day, an event providing information to protect both aspects of your heart: physical and emotional. For more information, contact Janet Tiberian at 305-284-6524.

Is quitting smoking one of your New Year’s resolutions? BeSmokeFree is a comprehensive smoking cessation program that incorporates other methods of quitting, such as pharmacological aids, hypnosis, exercise, etc. For more information, visit www.miami.edu/wellness.

Come to the Teach for America Information Session, Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 4 p.m. in the Toppel Career Center. Teach For America is the national corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to expand opportunity for children. Seeking all majors. No previous education experience or coursework necessary. Full salary plus $9,450 education award and loan forbearance. Final application deadline is Feb. 21, 2003. For questions or more information contact admissions@teachforamerica.org or 800-832-1230, ext. 225.

The National Endowment for the Humanities is offering up to 15 internships in Washington D.C. for the summer 2003. College students entering their junior or senior year in fall 2003 are eligible. NEH interns receive $4,000 for 10 weeks of work. Past interns have written articles for Humanities magazine, researched emerging fields in the humanities and developed web-based tools for gathering humanities-related information. The application deadline is Jan. 21, 2003. Applications are being accepted online at http://www.neh.gov.

In West Hollywood, CA, the city that reclassified pet owners as “guardians” two years ago, there is now a push toward the first U.S. ban on declawing cats. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to publicly condemn declawing and proposed a ban on the surgery. Animal advocates who say declawing is inhumane because it cuts off part of a cat’s toes hailed the move. Some cat owners have their pets declawed to keep them from scratching people or furniture.
“With West Hollywood making this statement, we’re hoping it will cause other cities to think,” said Jennifer Conrad, a veterinarian who founded the Santa Monica-based Paw Project, which seeks to abolish declawing. The city attorney has a month to draft a proposal. Declawing is banned already in several European nations.

This week students from every background celebrated the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., along with UM’s United Black Students [UBS].
“All I hope is that no one forgets what everyone in the past has done to get us to the point we’re at now,” said Bryan Jones, first vice president of UBS. “It’s not that long ago that things have changed.”
“Everything that Dr. King was saying then, we’re still trying to achieve now,” said UBS member Nia Grace. “It’s all still relevant.”
“Everyone should take better advantage of [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day] and use it as a way to become more educated and to learn,” Grace said. “It’s not just a day off from work; it’s a day to celebrate and appreciate the life and message of Dr. King.”
Events and activities for the week included a parade in Liberty City on Monday in honor of the national observance of the holiday, a candle light vigil on Tuesday, a forum entitled “His Dream: Where Are We Now?” and Jazz Night at the StormSurge Cafe.
“Throughout the entire week, we have been asking ourselves, ‘Have we taken any steps closer to achieving his dream?'” Grace said. “I think we have definitely come a long way and we need to continue to apply what [Dr. King] was saying then, now.”
Danielle Gilyot says she understands that many Americans may have not been fully exposed to the history of the Civil Rights Movement and that education begins in the home.
“The only way that a change can occur is through education,” Gilyot said. “Parents and teachers must educate themselves and sit down with their children and students and teach them about the freedom that Dr. King and so many before and after him have fought for.”
During the candlelight vigil around Lake Osceola on Tuesday participants sang “We Shall Overcome,” “I’m Gonna Let it Shine” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
“When you complain about someone holding you back, remember that Dr. King always tried to prevail,” Leslie Ann Brown, president of UBS, said before the Vigil procession. “Always remember to look to Dr. King for inspiration and know that you can be anything you want to be.”
David Bush of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and UBS says he is thankful for the fact that all of those involved have been blessed with the opportunity to receive a college education.
“We should all light the torches of others who don’t have the options or privileges that we have,” Bush said. “Sometimes we may take for granted how blessed we really are.”
Closing ceremonies for Martin Luther King Week will take place today on the UC Patio at noon.

Jorge Arauz can be contacted at xxarauzxx@yahoo.com