A Hamilton College Student Publication, Clinton, NY February 4, 2010 Volume L Number 15 THE SPECTATOR Barnes & Noble Official Explains College Bookstore Prices, Policies by Eloise Walter ’11 nal price. If BNC is unaware of a will help students find their books NEWS WRITER textbook’s status for the following cheaper elsewhere before heading semester, students can expect to re- to Hamilton’s bookstore. Many students are unclear ceive 10 to 30 percent of the original Roth also explained the book- about the Hamilton bookstore’s af- value. In this case, sell back rates store’s used book shortage. Accord- filiation with Barnes & Noble Col- are based on the textbook’s national ing to Roth, many students keep lege Booksellers (BNC). wholesale price since the textbook their books for further use resulting According to Jade Roth, the will circulate to a different school. in a “finite number of used books at vice president of books at BNC, If a new edition of the textbook any given time.” Roth emphasized “[BNC] has a contractual relation- is published, students will not re- that BNC strives to obtain as many ship with Hamilton and an obliga- ceive money back because there is used books as possible. She said that tion to provide every book for every no market for the book at Hamilton it is in BNC’s “best interest to make student. [BNC] is there to serve the or any other campus. Professors can sure there are as many different price campus community.” save students a lot of money by no- points as possible because we want Some students feel cheated tifying BNC which textbooks they students to shop in our store.” when used textbooks are not avail- will require again next semester. able and sell back rates are low. Ac- Students also wonder why This article was supposed to appear cording to Roth, low sell back rates BNC does not state each text- in the Jan. 28 issue to accompany are unfair but explicable. book’s ISBN number before the the editorial entitled “Easing the PHOTO BY EVAN KLONDAR ’11 If professors notify BNC that semester starts. Fortunately, BNC Book Buying Burden.” However, a Cadet First Class Benjamin Joelson of the United States their textbooks will be reused the has changed their policy and will Barnes & Noble representative did Air Force Academy presented on military contracting. following semester, sell back rates begin posting ISBN numbers this not respond to requests for comment for those textbooks are half the origi- summer for each textbook. This by the time the issue went to press. College Holds Conference For this year’s Great Names, students would prefer... on Military Contracting Hosting a second-tier Great Names speaker this semester by Evan Klondar ’11 sourcing many of the govern- Canceling the Great Names lecture and using EDITOR-AT-LARGE ment’s functions to private in- the money next year Don't know; dustries. Joelson outlined two Neither option 9% *Editor’s Note: The Cadet First Class Benjamin primary reasons for the recent Great Names En- Joelson of the United States Air increase in outsourcing: saving Both (write-in) dowment can only Force Academy believes that money and political benefits Hosting a second- be used for a Great the public service ethic of civil from the creation of private tier Great Names Don't know Names lecture or servants is more trustworthy sector jobs. He believes the speaker this semester; 45% performance. De- than the profit-making interests Department of Defense has Concert (write-in) spite student sugges- of contractors. “I’d rather have adopted this philosophy. Canceling the Great tions in response to someone in uniform account- Contractors are civil- Names lecture and Graduation (write-in) the poll, the money using the money able and pay more in taxes than ians who perform roles once next year; 35% cannot go toward [have] the status quo,” he said filled by the military, includ- Other Events (write-in) graduation or other at a Levitt Center-sponsored ing protecting diplomats and unrelated events. conference on Thursday, Jan. constructing bases. Kellogg, Students (write-in) 28. Brown and Root (KBR) is a ma- The conference, called jor contractor in Iraq that con- Other (write-in) “Outsourcing National Secu- structs bases for the military. rity: The Law and Politics of Blackwater (now Xe) was GRAPHIC BY KYE LIPPOLD ’10 Military Contracting,” fea- a security contractor that pro- tured a presentation by Joel- tected important officials, in- HamPoll Survey Shows Student son followed by a panel on cluding many from the State the problems and benefits of Department. Joelson criti- outsourcing. cized the “ID/IQ” (Indefinite Frustration Over No Great Names In his paper entitled “Hy- delivery/indefinite quantity) by David Foster ’10 and speaker this semester. This result and politics led the list with support per-Contracting and National contracts these companies re- Kye Lippold ’10 reflects many seniors’ concerns from about 75 percent of respon- Defense: The Wages of Out- ceived from the government, HAMPOLL STAFF about losing an important part of dents, followed by theatre or film, sourcing in Conflict Zones,” which allowed the companies their Hamilton experience without music, and literature (with only Joelson addressed the role of to offer unspecified services The latest HamPoll student a Great Names lecture in their fi- 20 percent expressing interest in contractors in combat zones for as long as required. survey showed that 45 percent nal year. As one senior put it in a religion). Additionally, 56 percent such as Iraq and Afghanistan. He also criticized “no bid” of respondents would prefer that comment to the survey, “Seniors of respondents indicated that the He concluded that contractors contracts, which award con- Hamilton host a second-tier Great are missing out entirely as a result speaker’s fame was important or performed roles that should be tracts to the sole contractor Names speaker this semester. Only of the recent decision.” Another very important in deciding whether reserved for the United States who makes an offer. 35 percent favored canceling the student expressed frustration be- to attend the lecture. Controlling government and should not be Additionally, Joelson ar- lecture and using the money next cause “Hamilton advertises [Great for various demographic factors outsourced. gued that there are significant year as outlined in the plan an- Names] as one of its most attrac- suggests that seniors were much Joelson began his presen- non-monetary costs to America nounced by the Sacerdote Great tive functions.” less likely to express interest in tation by detailing why con- when giving these contracts. Name selection committee. Students also expressed their fame, again likely due to concerns tractors are in conflict today. He pointed to two cases in par- While varsity athletes and opinions about what types of about having a speaker at all. A recent philosophy in public ticular: one, the electrocution “A” students were willing to wait, speakers they would like to see in administration, “New Public 65 percent of seniors called for a a Great Names lecture. Comedy see HamPoll, page 2 Management,” calls for out- see Military, page 3 Alexander Face Off: Men’s Hockey Hamilton Institute Obama’s State of Cannes at Hamilton Recyclemania on a Roll Fellows the Union February 4,5 2010 8 11 13 16Page 1 NEWS THE SPECTATOR Comedians, Politicians Top List of Students’ Preferred Speakers in the Dunham Quad, 90 percent of What types of speaker backgrounds would you enjoy? respondents thought the rink was a bad use of Student Assembly 100 NESCAC NEWS 90 funds. Out of the 500 respondents, 7 students (1.4 percent) said they 80 76 74 by Amanda Jordan ’10 70 had used the rink, while 56 (11.2 NEWS WRITER 60 64 percent) intended to use it and 87 55 percent of students had no inten- 50 46 Middlebury College 40 tion of using the rink. 30 The survey received 500 re- On Jan. 28, Simi Hamilton, an All-American skier from Mid- Politics Percent Enjoying Category 20 Comedy 20 sponses, for about a 29 percent Music dlebury College, received the 11th and final spot on the U.S. 10 response rate. The sample over- Literature Theater/Film 7 Olympic Cross Country Ski Team. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard 0 Religion Other represented white students and GRAPHIC BY KYE LIPPOLD ’10 GRAPHIC BY women relative to the overall Ham- Association obtained one more quota spot in the new Olympic from HamPoll, page 1 it unreasonable. However, most ilton population, while most other quota system and announced Hamilton, age 22, on Thursday students wanted the anticipated demographics were comparable. as the final competitor at the Vancouver Olympics. Hamilton The survey also asked stu- price of printing after exceeding is one of the fastest sprinters in the nation. He won four quali- dents their opinions about some the quota to be set lower than 15 HamPoll, a student group that que- fiers in the U.S. Ski Association Super Tour, Canadian NorAm other contentious issues on cam- cents, with 22 percent calling for ries the student body about impor- and U.S. Championship events. Additionally, he took the U.S. pus. Students were divided on 10 cents, 54 percent for 5 cents, tant topics, welcomes feedback at title in the freestyle sprint. Last week, he led sprint qualify- the new print management pro- and 14 percent advocating for no [email protected] our ing by over a second in the Under 23 World Championships in gram, with 43 percent calling it charge whatsoever. blog at http://hampoll.blogspot. Germany. Hamilton, of Aspen, Co., is the fifth skier with ties reasonable and 54 percent calling Regarding the outdoor ice rink com for more surveys and analysis.