WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN • 3A
Site started for trading textbooks
By Rachel Keesee Kansan staff reporter
Destinee Maxwell is tired of paying high prices for books and getting next to nothing when she sells them back.
The Kansas City, Kan., sophomore bought one book for $119 and would have gotten only $25 had she sold it back.
"Obviously I didn't return it, even if I won't use it again," said Maxwell, who has kept other books. "I don't see why you should have to spend that much money and not even get half of it back."
A Student Senate program may help Maxwell and other students save money on textbooks and make more for selling them.
The Academic Services Board has a book exchange Web site that is in the process of being approved. Students will be able to list and set the price for their books.
Kyle Johnson, Wichita sophomore and engineering senator, said the book exchange idea had been presented last spring but hadn't come to fruition. He said the recent initiative would benefit students.
The book exchange is at a temporary Web site, 129.237.90.88/book/index.php, until Provost David Shulenburger approves an official site. He is expected to decide today, Johnson said, and the official Web site should be operational by Friday.
"It's something simple, something we can do to save students money," he said.
Shulenburger required that the Web site be non-profit, available only to KU students and allow only textbooks to be sold.
Johnson said those stipulations had been met. Because Student Senate's Web server will host the site, a valid KU e-mail is required to list books, and books must be listed by name and class.
The important part is for students to use the free service, Johnson said.
"If students don't use it,it won't be worth anything," he said.
Some students are skeptical of the success the book exchange will have.
"It'd be a good idea for the motivated students, but the fact of the matter is most of us are lazy," said Matthew Zolton, Overland Park senior.
Hillary Strube, Wilmette, Ill., senior, said she thought students would "ask for more money than they should."
But Maxwell said she didn't think students would charge too much.
"I wouldn't mind selling a book for 30 bucks there—if a KU student would appreciate the benefits," she said. "I'd rather another student profit off my book than the bookstores."
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
Contact Keesee at kreesee@ kansan.com. This story was edited by Sarah Smarsh.
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
Cynthia Willsey, Kansas City, Mo., resident, twirls to the rhythms of drums and flute during a solo dance. The dancing was put on as part of International Awareness Week.
International awareness events highlight culture
Moving their midriffs in unison, the dancers of Troupe Raghsidak opened their program with a group performance. The show took place last night in front of the Spencer Museum of Art.
By Leah Shaffer Kansan staff writer
Satellite imaging and Middle Eastern dance may not have much in common, but they were both part of last night's International Awareness Week events.
Robert McColl, professor of geography, presented "Better International Understanding Using Satellite Imaging" at Spencer Museum of Art, 1301 Mississippi St.
The presentation involved the use of satellite images to explore different cultural regions in the world and to see how geography affected those cultures. Also at Spencer Museum of Art last night, Gaziyeh Enterprises, Inc., a professional dance troupe, performed Middle Eastern dances.
International Awareness Week, sponsored by the International Student Association, officially began Sunday with the "Flavors of the World" kick-off dinner at St. Lawrence Catholic Center, 1631 Crescent Rd. Luís Parreira, Sao Paolo, Brazil junior and organization president, said the point of the week was to make sure that students were exposed to lesser-known countries represented on the University campus.
"I think that international awareness on this campus is too low." Parreira said. "This is a great way of exposing international culture.
Parreira said students could meet people from other countries during the World Expo, noon to 6 p.m. Friday at the ballroom in the Kansas Union.
He said more than 40 countries had signed up to attend the expo.
Carol Dias da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, junior and cultural chair of International Student Association, said the most important event of the week was the 50th anniversary of the "Festival of Nations." The festival will take place at 7 p.m. Friday at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. Dias da Silva said the festival would feature a variety show with music and dance from different countries.
All International Awareness Week events are free to the public. Anyone with questions can call Parreira at 312-1083.
"We have a lot of cultural diversity on campus, and it's important for people to show their cultures," she said.
Contact Shaffer at lshaffer@ kansan.com. This story edited by Joanna Miller.
EVENTS
Other events planned for the International Students Awareness week include:
A speech, "Cultural/International Diversity at KU," by Joe Potts, director of the international student and scholar services, at 6 tonight at the Sunflower Room in the Burge Union.
African dances performed by the KU Music and Dance Department at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow on the fourth floor in the Kansas Union.
An "International Fashion Show" at 3 p.m. tomorrow on the fourth floor in the Kansas Union.
The display of 39 winning photos of the "Picture the World" photography contest at 4 p.m. tomorrow in the KU Museum of Anthropology, put on by Phi Beta Delta international fraternity.
Source: Luis Parreira, Sao Paolo, Brazil junior and president of the International Students Association.
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