THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY UMBC’s Student Newspaper INSIDE Volume 41, Issue 16 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 February 6, 2007 News 02 SGA president Jordan Hadfi eld resigns ELIZABETH SILBERHOLZ members, Hadfi eld bid a fond AND BRIAN WHIPPO farewell before informing the rest Retriever Weekly Editorial Staff of the campus community about his decision to resign. He wrote, “I Jordan Hadfi eld announced his know that this may be shocking, but resignation as SGA president last I have thought this decision over and Thursday, following a job offer to I believe that it is best for myself, the Textbook prices, $2M work as the Main Street Manager SGA, and UMBC.” grant, Professor on of Baltimore’s Dundalk Renaissance In an e-mail to the UMBC The Colbert Report Corporation. Senior Carrie Mann, community, Hadfi eld wrote, “This is Hadfi eld’s running mate, was a bittersweet moment for me because offi cially appointed president Friday. the job I have been offered fulfi lls a Hadfi eld, a senior Ancient dream I’ve had since my high school Opinion 05 Studies and Solitical Science major, days. Yet I will have to leave behind was elected SGA president in spring my involvement in the SGA, which 2005 and would have completed his has been the defi ning experience of second consecutive presidential term my collegiate career.” at the end of the semester. Before In fact, in his farewell address becoming president, Hadfi eld served Friday, Hadfi eld said, “Being SGA Will Archer [Retriever Staff] as a student senator and chief of president has been the most fulfi lling Looking Back: Jordan Hadfi eld refl ected on his SGA experience before handling staff. experience of my life.” He stated that over his position to Vice President Carrie Mann. Hadfi eld,Iraq, and Hadfi eld was offered the position he was pleased to leave the SGA ten U2charist to head the commercial revitalization times better than when he joined it members, many of whom have never 1927 which is now a dollar store. project in his hometown community, in his freshman year. known an SGA without Hadfi eld, According to the Dundalk Eagle, Dundalk, over winter break. Hadfi eld asserted in an interview presented him with a custom tee-shirt. Hadfi eld will “develop, coordinate, Hadfi eld said that he was unable that though the decision to leave SGA In an interview, Mann explained that and implement [Dundalk’s] to balance his position as Main Street was a heartbreaking one, working as even though she and Hadfi eld had commercial revitalization activities.” Arts 14 Manager with SGA duties. In an Dundalk’s Main Street Manger is a worked as a close team throughout Partially, this will involve nurturing interview, Hadfi eld estimated that “dream job you have to jump at that.” the fall, “it will be different without current businesses and attracting new he spends 50 to 60 hours a week Hadfi eld was delighted that he will him here.” businesses, managing beautifi cation working as SGA president, a job be able to apply what he has learned Hadfi eld will graduate in the activities and overseeing volunteer with an offi cial 20-hour weekly time at UMBC to aid others. “[SGA] has spring and continue to study at committees. commitment. taught me everything I know now UMBC as a graduate student as Dundalk is one of 14 Main He said, “The SGA president and to be able to apply that outside he eases into working full-time as Street Designees in Maryland and has to give 25 times more [than is [the UMBC community] is a great Dundalk’s Main Street Manager. the only Main Street Designee in required],” something that is no opportunity.” Hadfi eld will be working with Baltimore County. Pan’s Laybrinth, BMA longer possible for him. “I don’t want Mann echoed Hadfi eld’s 116 businesses “to recreate an area African Art, Take to be someone who lets everyone enthusiasm: “For him to get to do that was once thriving.” Some of Action Tour, Under- down,” Hadfi eld confi ded. this is really great.” these businesses still occupy historic ground music In an e-mail addressed to SGA At Friday’s resignation, SGA buildings such as the theater built in Sports 23 Stretching the textbook buck even further ADITYA DESAI shelled out a hefty chunk of change. book which was bought at $70 was their own auction sites to facilitate selling Retriever Weekly Contributing Writer Pointing fi ngers is easy, but Bob Somers, $100 when new. The bookstore gives and buying books for each other. At University Bookstore Director, assures both the new and used book a buyback UMBC, the site textbookcapitalism.com, For a college student, especially here that that isn’t the case. “Our number price of $50. managed by the Student Government at UMBC, the beginning of a semester one goal is to offer the lowest possible Somers explains the mechanics of Association, allows students to list their goes by with a number of expenses, prices to the student.” the business allows for little leeway for books for sale. At the moment there are Basketball teams win- ranging from tuition, housing, a shiny Seems to be a whopper of a line, the store to assuage the prices, and that very few titles available, but the list will less, swimming gears new pencil, and of course textbooks. but Somers states that the prices, both they do what they can. The practice of hopefully increase with more people up for championship Luckily for the penny-starved student, for new and used textbooks are those set buying back and reselling used books knowing it’s there. there are a number of ways to cut back by the publishers, not decided on by the accounts for about 40 percent of the However, Somers warns that on the dollar. university or the campus bookstore. For textbook sales in the store. The book having students sell to one another It isn’t a secret that the online students who feel they are being robbed, sales overall make for 80 percent of exclusively will lead to an eventual end Newsroom ........... 410.455.1260 Advertising .......... 410.455.1261 market provides some of the cheapest only about eight cents on the dollar the store’s business, and helps make up of book sales, although the bookstore Editor in Chief ...... 410.455.1262 ways of getting books at better prices goes to the school; the rest goes to the for the other things they sell such as will always have customers for diffi cult- Business Fax ....... 410.455.1265 On the Web ........... trw.umbc.edu than the astronomical retail. Sites such publisher. stationery and computer software. to-fi nd books. as Ebay’s Half.com and the Amazon Most students advise their fellow The bookstore has also begun For certain classes which use widely Marketplace offer the books at less than peers in the basic ways of saving money selling digital, or e-books. According to known texts, like a literature class, it is half the retail cost. Paired with a shipping on the weighty expense: buy them the Textbook Manager, Lisa Kakavas, always wise to check into the library. time of less than a week, it becomes an from friends, get them free if you’re there are currently only about a dozen But still the largest market still easy sell against the pricey shelves of the really good friends, or sell them back titles available, but given time there will seems to be the online bazaar. The ever- University Bookstore in the Commons. to the bookstore for money. Somers be more. Digital books will provide growing arena has resulted in a drop of Just so, most students walk adds that the store gives reasonable savings upfront. textbook sales on the campus store over through the doors of the Bookstore with prices considering the circumstances of There have been cases in the past the past four years. It is still a prudent ETRIEVER scorn, knowing full well they will leave, the business. They also give the same where students have taken matters into idea to mosey into the store and take a RTHE WEEKLY having swiped Mom and Dad’s credit amount for a used book as they would their own hands. Student groups at see TEXTBOOK, page 3. card, or worse even their own, having for a new book. So, for example, a used various schools across the country started 2 News February 6, 2007 THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY BehindtheScenes College News Jill Barr: New Director of Graduate Enrollment ZAINAB ALKEBSI university setting. So I set out to do something career.” Despite only having worked here for Cross removal stirs Va. Retriever Weekly Staff Writer in one of those areas. Looking back so far in two months, Barr is already impressed by the college campus my career I’ve done a little of each, mostly in UMBC community. Jill Barr has recently become the Director higher education, but also I worked in the Barr’s hobbies and interests include WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — As a of Graduate Enrollment here at UMBC; she legal fi eld for fi ve years.” politics and the outdoors. Explained Barr, “I Catholic, Vince Haley often went to joined the UMBC community two months Thus, there was no defi ning moment in hike and bike as much as I can and I love to Mass at the College of William and ago. realizing what she wanted to do in life but travel to national parks. Every time I go hiking Mary’s historic Wren Chapel when he Barr was born in West Virginia but her rather it has been an ongoing evolution for in beautiful remote areas, I have a life-altering was an undergraduate in the 1980s.