Digging for data:
Y’s crash aftermath
PAGE
5
Running to
nationals
PAGE
7
Career path
via internship 9
PAGE
True blue
without sight
PAGE
7
Hangin’ out with the
Heisman (and more)
universe.byu.edu
PAGE
7
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah
For the week of June 12, 2012
Serving the Brigham Young University Community
ook
My Textb
WORLD
Sm ith |
Godfre
k
nhoe
y | Stee
I just want my books
Edition
Fourth
The Internet changed textbooks
and textbook buying
By LAURA SMITH
the university as well. BYU receives a commission on every
student who goes through My
Book List and then purchases
The frenzied students, the
from an outside vendor.
long rows of shelves, the lines
“We prefer students go
that wrap around themselves,
through My Book List,” Hirtzwere all a part of a quintessenel said. “They pay the same
tial beginning of a semester for
amount whether they went
many students at the BYU Bookthrough My Book List or not,
store.
but when they do choose to
However, much of that is
go through it and they choose
changing because of the emerto use an off-campus vendor
gence of options such as My
of some sort then at least the
Book List, online textbook rentuniversity’s making a comal, ebooks and the BYU Book
mission and it benefits the
Exchange.
university. It doesn’t make any
Tom Hirtzel, the textbook
impact on the student in terms
manager at the BYU Bookstore,
of price.”
said the ability to shop online
The Bookstore also offers
has changed all areas of retail.
Photo illustration by Kelly Haight online textbook rental — a
“Because the ability to shop
student rents a textbook ononline is what costumers across Students look to exchange books in a dramatization
line, then the book is shipped
all levels of merchandise, not of a BYU Book Exchange.
to the student and the student
just textbooks, want, everyone
stores, so the Bookstore made adjust- returns the rental to the Bookstore at
goes online and compares before they
ments by implementing My Book List the end of the semester during sellgo into a brick and mortar store,”
last year, which is targeted to help back time — saving the student time
Hirtzel said.
students compare pricing.
People today go online and comSee INTERNET on Page 4
The comparative feature benefits
pare pricing before they go into
Seven Days
OF THE UNIVERSE
TUESDAY
June 12
Exam Prep Day
“Democracy is for People” A Provo
Movement,”: 6:30 p.m., Provo Library
WEDNESDAY
June 13
Finals. Through June
14.
Textbook Sellback:
BYU Bookstore. Through June 15.
Local Investors Educating
Entrepreneurs: 3:30 p.m., Holland and
Hart (SLC), Free. unvr.se/KgDo8T
Photoshop Basic Rundown: 3 p.m., HBLL
Multimedia Lab (Room 4826), Free with
registration. unvr.se/KhY3JG
Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw Basics:
7 p.m., HBLL Multimedia Lab (Room
4826), Free with registration.
unvr.se/Ol4nPn
THURSDAY
Flag Day
June 14
New Student Orientation: Through
June 15.
Freedom Festival
Flag Retirement
Ceremony: 8 p.m.,
Macey’s Food and
Drug Store, Provo.
unvr.se/JXLOlf
Historic Provo Interior Tours: 5:30-7
p.m., 666 West 300 South, Provo.
unvr.se/KSdvep
FRIDAY
June 15
Dairy Days:
11 a.m.- 3 p.m.,
Making the renting vs.
buying decision
By JESSICA GODFREY
At the beginning of each semester,
many students ask themselves if it is
better to buy textbooks and try to sell
them back later or if they should just
rent them.
There are several variables that
play into whether is it better to buy
or rent a textbook. Depending on an
individual’s circumstance, in one semester some may buy some books but
rent others.
Morgan Williams, a senior from
Broomfield, Colo., studying Russian,
asked himself two main questions before getting his class materials : how
much will it cost overall and will he
want to keep it?
If a student knows they want to
keep a textbook from the beginning,
they can buy the textbook from the
start. However, if a student fi rst rents
a textbook and later decides they
would like to keep it for later, online
and local textbook services provide
options for purchasing rentals.
Rachel Gibson, a junior studying
nursing, based her decision off if she
is likely to use the book in the future
or not.
“I usually buy my textbooks because most of them are for my major
and I want to keep them for future
reference,” Gibson said.
After the initial step of deciding
whether or not the book is a keeper,
students most heavily consider the
cost.
“I try to determine which option
will be less expensive in the end,”
Gibson said. “I know how much it
will cost to rent a book, assuming I
brought in back in time, but I also try
to guess how much money I can get
back from selling back a book.”
As college students struggling to
balance bank accounts and the cost
of gaining an education, finding deals
is a key factor in obtaining textbooks.
Amanda Bruce, a recent BYU graduate, rented and bought textbooks
based upon price. Often times she
ended up renting.
“It worked out cheaper than
See GUESSING on Page 4
SUNDAY
Thanksgiving Point, Through June 16, $5.
unvr.se/LamYuI
June 17
Father’s Day
Strawberry Days:
Pleasant Grove, Through
June 24
SATURDAY
June 16
Park City Historic Home Tour: 10
a.m.- 3 p.m., Park City Museum, $10-15.
unvr.se/MrfH9g
Horses for Healing Service Project: 9
a.m., Meet at Wilkinson Center Jamba
Juice, Free. unvr.se/KhZ0Sj
King James Bible Exhibit: HBLL Special
Collections, Ongoing through June,
Free. unvr.se/Koi3eM
MONDAY
June 18
First day of summer classes
To submit an event, email
universe.calendar@gmail.com
4 The Universe, for the week of June 12, 2012
INTERNET
Many changes in
book buying
Continued from Page 1
Photo illustration by Chris Bunker
Another option to selling back used textbooks at the end of the semester is to go to an off-campus
bookstore, such as Boomerang Books in Provo.
Getting the most out of textbook buybacks
By AUBREY STEENHOEK
Hirtzel. “We pay 50 percent of
the new book price on the ones
that will be used the following year, even if the student
bought the book used.”
Hirtzel also said they buy
the books based on demand,
how many students will be in
the class and how many classes will use the book.
If the professors do not request to buy the books back,
the Bookstore may still buy
it back if the national market
is in need. They often will pay
10-30 percent on these books.
The Bookstore does not buy
workbooks, books with pass
codes, books with pages coming out, water damaged books,
books with broken bindings or
loose leaf editions.
“I recommend students
come to the Bookstore first
to see how much the buyback
price is. I think students will
The patience of BYU students is tested during textbook buybacks. Individuals
spend hundreds of dollars at
the beginning of each semester and expect just as much
money back in their pocket at
the end of the semester when
they sell books back.
Why do some students receive so much more than others for a book just as expensive?
Tom Hirtzel, a full time employee at the BYU Bookstore,
explains what they look for
each semester during buybacks and how they determine
what they do and don’t take.
“The faculty makes requests for which books they
want their students to have
the following semester,” said
be pleasantly surprised,” said
Hirtzel.
Slade Sinkins is the owner
at Boomerang Books. He said
they will often buy back books
that the Bookstore will not.
If a book has water damage,
is an old edition or is missing
a cover, Sinkins said they may
still buy it.
“It depends on the demand,”
Sinkins said.
Students can receive a
quote for their books at the
Boomerang Books website.
Sinkins said it is a good idea
to check before selling your
books somewhere else.
Ryan Hendrickson, a former employee at Bucks 4
Books, said books they buy
are based on national demand.
Both Sinkins and Hendrickson said they are a good alternative if the Bookstore will
not take your books.
12 ct. Vanilla
Fat Boy
Sandwich
5
$ 99
8.9-11.8 oz. Cocoa
Puffs or Cheerios
General Mills
Cereal
CREAMERY ON 9TH
Clorox 75 ct. Lavender,
Fresh or Lemon
Disinfecting
Wipes
4$10
3
$ 99
for
Meat
Produce
Green or Red
Beef
Seedless
Grapes
Top Sirloin
Steaks
4
1
$ 49
$ 99
Pork
lb.
219
Cordon
$ 99
Bleu ................... 3
Boneless
$
Ribs ....................
lb.
Chicken
lb.
Y Buys
25.5-27 oz. 4 Cheese, Bacon &
Pineapple, or Pepperoni Natural Rise
Freschetta Pizza
4
$ 99
6 ct. Asst.
Sara Lee
Bagels
2
$ 99
Snacks
8.5-14.5 oz. Grasshopper,
Fudge Stripe, Coconut Dreams,
Chips Deluxe Rainbow
9.6 oz.
3 ct. Boxes Only
Keebler Cookies
Popcorn
for
for
10
4$
Bakery
Fresh Baked
Cookies
41
$
for
Dairy
Western Family 18 pk.
Large Eggs
3 $5
for
lb.
Fresh
4
2$
Cherries ..............
3
$ 99
lb.
39¢
¢
Tomatoes............ 89
Seedless
Watermelon ........
lb.
Red Cluster
lb.
Grocery
56 oz. Complete
Western Family $
Pancake Mix .......
5.34-8.9 ox. Select Varieties
Nature Valley
$
Granola Bars ......
12 oz.
Kraft Velveeta $
Shells-N-Cheese ...
12 ct.
Old El Paso
Taco Shells .........
4.5-8 oz. Asst.
Betty Crocker
Fruit Snacks ........
16 oz. Asst.
Kraft
Salad Dressing ....
3
49
279
229
45
$
for
4 $9
for
2 $5
GUESSING
The renting vs.
buying choice
Continued from Page 1
shipping and purchasing the
book,” she said.
Many students have resorted to online services to meet
their financial circumstances
and textbook needs.
Bigwords.com is a website
that helps students find textbooks they need for class by
offering a service comparing
different online options of
renting, buying and selling
back textbooks.
“Despite the trend towards
rentals, our data shows that
buying and selling books online is better for students,”
said Jeff Sherwood, founder
and CEO at bigwords.com, in
a press release.
Based off the top 1,000 textbooks used nationally by students, bigwords.com found
buying and selling textbooks
as opposed to renting saved
students an average of $56.64
per book.
Before students determine
the value they can retain or
gain from renting or buying
a textbook, the lifespan of a
textbook’s value is beneficial
to consider.
Depending on the subject
and edition, the textbook will
hold its original value for a
limited time. For example, if
an edition 3 science textbook
is purchased at $185, and a new
edition of the textbook comes
out a year later, the value of
the edition 3 textbook will
greatly decrease.
W
” e try to create a
portal that will help
students make the best
decision possible for
their course materials.”
Tom Hirtzel
BYU Bookstore textbook manager
If a professor requests the
new edition of a text, the older
editions of the book are placed
at a lower value, causing buybacks to be lower than many
would like.
Kelsey Jones, an English
major from Draper, has experienced unfortunate buyback
Cosmetic Squares $
or Rounds............
Western Family 6 oz. SPF 30 or 70
By KAITLIN PRETTYMAN
A BYU student was attacked
in Lautoka, Fiji, while volunteering with Provo-based
HELP International and said
the incident could have been
prevented according to the
Deseret News.
ABC 4 reports Hilary, who
does not want her last name
used, said she was kidnapped
at knifepoint by three men who
said they knew where she lived
and according to Deseret News
she said she was “attacked in a
residential area, dragged to a
nearby field and nearly raped
199
4
$ 99
Wyview Store Hours
C.O.N.E. Store Hours
Monday - Saturday
Mon.-Thurs. 7:00 am - 11:00 pm
7:30 am - 11:00 pm
Fri.-Sat. 7:00 am - 12:00 am
Access information on Creamery specials at dining.byu.edu/creamery
s,
pas
DITCH the gym
situations.
“When I buy textbooks and
try to sell them back, I don’t
get as much back as I would
hope and it can be frustrating,” Jones said.
Tom Hirtzel, the BYU Bookstore textbook manager said
he understands the frustration
that comes from not getting
back as much as you paid but
hopes to offer students the best
opportunities and resources.
“We are BYU people first,
we care about the students,”
Hirtzel said. “We recognize
that the funds that students
have are sacred and we respect
that.”
The Bookstore offers students opportunities to find
needed texts through an individualized book list each
semester through Route Y
rentals. A list of purchasing
options from other locations
— ebooks, links to Amazon
and live pricing for materials
— is also provided.
“We try to create a portal
that will help students make
the best decision possible for
their course materials,” Hirtzel said.
With advances in technology, there are many options for
textbook needs and students
continually search for the best
deal to meet class needs and
personal finances.
BYU student says attack in Fiji could have been prevented
for
Western Family 80-160 ct.
Sunblock
Continuous Spray
at the start of the semester.
Another Internet trend in
the Bookstore is ebooks — an
electronic form of a printed
textbook. Hirtzel said the Bookstore buys ebooks based on the
faculty’s requests.
BYU student Chris Hausberg, an English major from
Eagle River, Alaska, said he
used an ebook for a class once
and it had its pros and cons.
“It was nice because I could
carry (my ebook on my laptop)
around wherever I went, but it
was a lot of work just to get to a
textbook,” Hausberg said.
A 2012 study by Student
Watch reported some students
prefer digital or electronic textbooks for different reasons —
not having to carry a textbook
around, having all the required
materials in one place, saving
paper, convenience, affordability, preference for the technology or recommendation by a
professor.
However, not all students like
this newer medium of book and
would prefer the hard copy.
Jennifer Bullock, a communication disorders major from
Littleton, Colo., recently used
an ebook for a math class.
“I didn’t really like it that
much,” Bullock said. “I usually
like tangible books where I can
see it and flip through it. Plus,
looking at a computer screen
for a long time makes my eyes
hurt.”
Nate Nielsen, a pre-accounting major from Draper, said an
ebook is not worth the amount
it costs.
“I still had to pay for it,”
Nielsen said. “So I might as well
get something I can have in my
hands, right?”
The last way the Internet
has changed textbook dynamics for BYU students is through
the BYU Book Exchange. It is
a lesser-known service sponsored by the BYU Bookstore
to help students connect with
other students selling used
textbooks.
Nate Austin and Tyler Cahoon, two BYU students, both
said they had never heard of
the BYU Book Exchange and
they just go to the bookstore at
the beginning of the semester
to buy their textbooks.
The book exchange is similar to online classifieds for
BYU students to sell and buy
textbooks from each other.
Students make a connection
through the book exchange
and arrange a time to meet on
campus to exchange books. The
book exchange website counsels students to use common
sense about taking personal
safety measures when meeting
with strangers, such as meeting during daylight hours and
bringing a friend.
Convenient or not, depending on the student,
the reality is the Internet
has and will continue to
affect the textbook medium and buying experience.
rters,
laundry qua
ights.
and lonely n
before she was able to escape.”
Hilary reported to KSL she
was kept in the field for 45 minutes to an hour.
She said she believes the
event could have been prevented if HELP International had
followed through on providing
volunteers with more safety
training, according to the Deseret News.
HELP’s executive director
reported to KSL that “every
possible safety precaution” was
taken in regards to student volunteer safety and volunteers
were given safety training before arriving in Fiji and after
they arrived. In the 12 years
that HELP International has
been in operation only two assaults have occurred and no
rapes, according to KSL.
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