Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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4.. Quiet time There comes a time every afternoon when a person just has to sit down and relax. A little time to forget about the food in the Russell House, the lines at the Campus Shop and the Biology test you just failed. The view from Woodrow may not be much, but it does allow a person to escape the rigors of University life and pick up a suntan all at the same time. Gamecock staff photo be Courtney Dicely. :Howtoge tot t's easy. Just stand on the orner of Blanding and umter, Lady and Sumter, endleton and Main or evine and Mainwith50Oe n your hand. And every five minutes, tarting at 5:15 before ~ach USC homegoame, the ~CE&G Football Coach ilcome along and take y ou straight to Wi1liams rieStadium. Book exc BY FRANKIE STEPHENSON Gamecock Staff Writer The idea of a student orientated amd operated book exchange has begun to find favor with an in creasing amount of USC students according to those directly ,associated with its .operation.. Donna Bise, who assumet managerial duties last April, is very optimistic about the ex changes' future. "One of the big reasons we're doing so much more business nov is because we're finally getting the idea out through posters, The Gamecock and word-of-mouth, Bise said. "Faculty members have begur to suggest to their students to 'try the book exchange first',"she said "This year I wrote lette:s in. forming incoming freshmern of the idea of a book exchange. The response this fall was pretty good everybody seemed to be fed up with getting ripped-off by the bookstores." The exchange, which survived several false starts and finally came into existence in July, 1973, is designed to provide an alternative for students in their bi-annual trek to the book selves. Bise said the idea in now gaining momentum among students. [to thle Afterwarc 5OC ,you car Football Coa downtown. ' escort, yet. How's that game plan? hange ...idea gaining mon Anaylsis "During the first year, from July,1973, to July, 1974. about $2,000 worth of books were sold. We sold $1,200 worth during both sessions of summer school this past summer, and in the first two weeks of this semester we sold about $2,500 Aworth." The idea of a student book ex change, a plan by which students can help each other acquire text books at reasonable prices , makes particularly good sense now when inflation is intensifying its I demands on everyone. Many college campuses across the nation have had student book exchanges in successful operation tor several years now. Although the specific methods of operation may vary with each school, the overall purpose is the same and that is to operate in the best in- I terest of the student. The system at USC is the result of efforts made by Charles Young, whose name a year ago was synonymous with the USC book exchange. Young collected ideas fro?,,i various exchages around th. nation's college campuses, drew up a format to his own liking, cc.avinced himself that it could work on USC' campus, and then set game s,for another i catch the ch right back Mith a police for a winning THIE SCE&G t OOTHALL(XW'H s zentum at USC ibout the arduous task ot getting he idea adopted. Finally, the idea was voted through the student senate and funding was set up through the student government. This legislature made it possible for 'undreds of students to obtain books at surprising savings over retail prices. A book exchange is exactly that: it is set up. for the sole benefit of the student. A student desiring to sell his books turns them into the exchange on consignment. The books are then examined to Jetermine whether they warrant 3ricing either as a "new" or "used" book. A "new" book to the book ex :hange is one which )l ( currently is n use at USC and )2( obviously in good condition with few narkings, etc. .Prices are then narked, based on current retail >rice lists, and finally the books ire sorted and shelved. "If a brand-new book at the )ookstore is $11.95, we price the ;ame "brand-new" book at $8," Bise explained. "We sell the book md return $7 to the owner, and ceep the other $1 to help support the 'xchange. "A bookstore might, if you're lucky, return $5 on the same book, and then re-sell the book for $8," she explained . She continued, "If the exchange continues to be as successful as it las been we will get students buying a book from us, bringing it back for us to sell for them, and thereby using a book all semester for as little as si per book." The otherwise orderly cycle of books throughout the exchange is not without its problems.. The main problem is that of of repeated textbook changes by faculty, ac cording to Bise "Students have expressed to me thier feeling about the extent to which books are changed in the same course each new semester. Most seem to think that it's very frustrating." "And, of codrse, without books it's hard to exchange them,"she said. "We need to encourage students to leave their books with tas at the end of the semester. We cannot over-emphasize this." Blse also realizes the stores offer the students instant cash for their books, whereas a student with ooks on consignment in the book exchange has to wait for his noney. Bise says, "It's up to the student is to whether he wants to wait for is money or take the lesser mount of money for his books rom the bookstores." By the time the book exchange -e-opens its doors, Bise hopes that t will be equipped to handle an ncreased volum~e of business. 'We have already had people come ip from Carolina extensions ookingfor books in our exchange." The exchange will open on the irst day of exams and will con inue operation through exam veek and through the first two veeks of the new semester.