Requiem for A Council Book-Buying Program

To the editors:

Tuesday’s rather morose obituary for UC Books (News, “On Last Legs, UC Books Reevaluated,” March 12) failed to do justice to the life of this great program.

UC Books was born on Feb. 1, 2000. It cost the Undergraduate Council nothing more than some sweat to create the service; yet, over the course of its short life, UC Books saved the student body estimated thousands of dollars and was accessed more than 150,000 times. In addition to directly saving students money on their books, the program provided the COOP with some healthy competition.

When the council was facing budget shortfalls, let us not forget that it was UC Books that grossed around $1,500 in sales commissions that were used to fund student group grants.

When the council was mired in a never-ending impeachment imbroglio, it was UC Books that gave us hope that the council could do better.

Alas, the service fell ill after the collapse of online discount booksellers, and is in need of surgery if it is to survive. (Pro bono surgery is proving hard to obtain.)

Should UC Books pass away this semester, let it be remembered as a program that never asked for much and always loved to give. It exceeded our expectations while it lasted and it will be missed when it is gone.

Paul A. Gusmorino III ’02

March 12, 2002

The writer is former president of the Undergraduate Council and the founder of UC Books.