THECORDWEEKLY Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, Ontario Thursday September 11, 1980 Volume 21 Number 2 THE WLU BOOKSTORE: IT WAS GRRREAT! A RIPOFF OR A SERVICE? was Wednesday when 325 students by Carl Friesen store. by Mark Wigmore "There's no money to be made in roller-skated, 200 went pub- The high price oftext books is one In i some cases unsold books textbooks" she says, 'if we were just A week ofdances, bands, parties, crawling and 70 went golfing. In issue at most universities, cannot be returned to the publisher, recurrent a textbook store we would havegone food and fun left few unhappy total 595 students participated in Laurier is no exception. and in some only a certain and under long ago." people and fewer still who called Orientation in that one afternoon. Textbook percentage of the order can be WLU Bookstore Peter Venton, Vice-President Orientation something other than Manager, Kathy Galbraith, returned. Some companies have (Finance) says that the bookstore great. Orientation Co-ordinators, Other "big successes" mentioned confirms that prices have increased time limits after which they will no turned a of$8,000 on profit oversl Steve Wilkie and Jason Price by Jason Price and Steve Wilkie noticeably from last year. longer accept returns. New editions million of total sales, which works summed up the week by stating were the Cystic Fibrosis Shinerama, The bookstore here follows the may make the store's present stock out to 8/10ths of sales. 1% simply, "A lot of people met a lot of the Tamaie Casino Night and the common practise of selling at unsaleable, and the bookstore must The bookstore does make a slight other people." Two-pitch Baseball Tournament. publishers' suggested retail, she absorb losses is a book is notbought profit, he says. This comes from They said that the dons were "very says. It buys the books from the by the students. being slightly conservative in Most events were well-attended encouraging at all events" but publisher at 20% less that this, and Galbraith concedes that the store estimates that and that the money is put by frosh and icebreakers alike, as the out of the 125 Icebreakers, there the difference is used to defray does have a fair idea ofhow many into a fund which is used co-ordinators worked hard to were 40 or so who really cleaned and expenses. copies of a book to order, but says occasionally to pay for capital ensure that there were events for worked while many were there "just She says that there are many that sometimes a professor will expenses. everyone. Events were planned each for the T-shirt". They suggested factors involved in selling textbooks change her or his mind and not At the University of Waterloo's nighl for those of legal drinking age fewer Ice-breakers and an which can result in losses for the require students to buy the book. bookstore, the policy is also break to and those underto make sure no one interviewing system might help in was left out. future years to ensure more faithful Icebreakers. The big event for the week was held Thursday at Bingeman Park. They also said that there were Over 1,100 people made the journey problems getting off-campus to participate in the Outdoor students to pick up their orientation Games, hear the Cooper Brothers kits but that most soon became and watch the Bum Bum Contest. involved in theweek ifthey made the Buses took students out to the park effort. All in all, the successes all during the day and night with few overcame any problems that problems being reported by the bus occurred. drivers. One problem organizers did encounter was a delay in getting Laurier Stockton, a Ist year students out-to the park early due to Psychology major summed up the morning registration. week for organizers, frosh and Ice- breakers "it was a lot of fun but a Another big day in Orientation week of partying is too much." FRIESEN CLUBS DAY AT LAURIER CARL by Wendy Boyd Oktoberfest. The Chinese Student BY Association reported that 70 On Monday Sept. 6, Laurier held students have up so far and PIC its first Club signed Day with variousclubs they are expecting more after their out in full force recruiting members. i extDOOK prices are nign dvi- me siore aoes not seem to oe Get-to-know-you Party on According to organizer John making inordinate profits. September 11 in the Mezzanine. The MacCrae, response from the clubs Christian themselves Intervarsity Fellowship even. However, on essential course backs fall apart more easily. The All other overhead costs in was not as good as had was also on hand Monday offering materials, the pricing policy allows store sells the hardcovers at 75% of handling textbooks must come out been expected. A total of five clubs information on their club and only of and set up stations, while it that 15% be added to the the price the new books, of the 20% discount as well. These had been activities. Present as well was the bookstore's cost price instead of the paperbacke 60%. hoped at least 10 would be newly-formed Galach GuildScience 20% at Laurier. represented. Fiction and Fantasy Club, working Textbook manager Galbraith include stock shrinkage, book'work, Elsie Dodds, UW bookstore very hard to establish club for gave the example of a $10 new and losses due to problems returning a manager, says that a textbook that hard- Memberships for the clubs people with similar interests in cover The texts. cost both bookstore $8 would sell text. store would give present however, did seem to be Science Fiction. for $9.20 UW and $10 WLU $5.00 for it used and resell it for at at Non-text books, called trade going quite well. The WLU Paul fisher, WLU bookstore $7.50. She added that is is possible Marketing Club is extremely pleased Later this month, there will be books, return a slightly better profit manager, says that a student buying for the price ofa newbook to have to enrollment this year as another Club Day, so even though margin to the sotre. While the price with the up to $12, in which case she would tripled from last you may have missed signing up essential course materials at UW of texts is set by the publisher and memberships have then give $6 for it used. "I give 50% enthusiastic Tamiae crew Monday, there are still plenty of would save about 10% from what the 20% limit is usually quite strict, year. The of current retail". year the would be paid at Laurier. Galbraith says the store is allowed is busy planning events for the opportunities to sign up for However, UW does not have the more discresison on setting theretail with tickets already on sale' for _clubs. buyback service offered here. The The bookstore absorbs all price of trade books. The higher UW Federation of Students shipping charges, Galbraith says. profit margin means that these items operates a used book store in the From the USA this is 10%ofthe cost can be reduced more when on sale Campus Centre at a close to break- and is quoted in $US. and still turn a profit. even basis. WLU's service offers of the Unfavourable exchange rates on 50% bookstore, such initial price of hardcover books and books imported from other Other itemsin the Laurier Locker, 40% for paperbacks; the difference countries, particularly the US, puts as clothing in the help the to break even. being due to the fact that paper- up the price. store activities planned for the Imperial language spoken in Dune forthcoming year are still not and its two sequels. In the context of WLU concrete, as the founders feel that the club, the title suggests both its the new membership should decide obvious nature as well as the SCI what path should be followed. multicultural aspects of SF&F. One FIC However, field trips to events of can easily say that this form of by Edward Patience particular interest to the fiction is an international—even Another academic year has membership such as Dragons and interstellar—language of ideas with begun; classes, confusion and Dungons or Gamma World and, of concepts readily translatable into endless assignments will be typical course, relaxed discussions perhaps any tongue. From Deus Machina to of it. We would like toadd a spark of will give an individual a rough idea Swords and Sworcery, any and all speculation of uniqueness however, and create an of what to and what to look who delight in the expect situation will exchange of new ideas. To facilitate forward to over the forthcoming "What If" upon a Guild. this goal, this year sees the birth of year. Yet far from being a dry and enjoy SF&F and the Galach your club. WLU's first Science Fiction and stuffy series of lectures, tedious So make the Guild FRIESEN infinties, Fantasy Society. discussions and boring meetings, the Join us as we travel the and alternaties of Man's This new club, called the "Galach Guild plans to be as dynamic as eternities CARL Guild" in honour of Frank SF&F itself, willing to explore any existence. BY interested, contact either Herbert's The Dune Trilogy, will interest, or discuss any outlook or a If PIC Edward Patience or Linda Eng explore all aspects ofthis fascinating member. through the Guild's mailbox in the and dynamic artform in all its John MacCrae, small clubs coordinator, organized the Small WLUSU office.