Different instruments: From drums to keyboards
By Jonathan Lane April 25, 2008
FLOATING IN A WORLD OF AMBIGUITY CAN spark a sense of vulnerability that, in some instances, can prove to be detrimental to one’s identity.
The youthful mind often aspires to achieve a variety of promising careers: fireman, doctor or even president.
It is no secret that the whimsical childhood realm that we often long to return is seemingly comprised of simplicity, fairy dust, and sweets however, there is something to be said about that which this unrealistic world of fantasy and nostalgia can provide.
From the age of 5 to the age of 18, I aspired to be a professional drummer, just like my father.
While my contemporaries were out seeing movies and chasing each other around town, I found significance in my steadfast attempts to be a fraction of the musician that my father is. My brother and I were determined to build and strengthen our musical foundations through relentless, yet enjoyable, rudiment drills and sight reading exercises.
As is the nature of retrospective life analysis, high school knocked on my door the very next day with its hands full of opportunities, just waiting for me to lighten it’s load.
High school marching band was inevitable, as was concert band, symphonic orchestra, and a variety of drumline competitions.
Currently, I am applying for writing and editing positions in the Hollywood area in which I grew up. How did this happen?
Don’t get me wrong, I find a great deal of satisfaction in my passion for writing. It just seems interesting that, within me, once existed an identity that was literally defined by a specific interest that was percussion.
Maybe it was my mother and father’s warnings of potential failure in a profession that relies heavily upon making connections and networking, not to mention the fact that everyone in L.A. plays the drums.
The childhood mind swims in a pool of simplicity, and despite a parent’s attempts to “roust it out” for dinner, it will insist that it does the contrary.
To me, this fact is one to be cherished. Children have no need to second guess their aspirations and the conquest of financial gain is of peripheral significance.
On May 17, thousands of Fresno State students will be moving on to the professional world, equipped with knowledge (some useful and some not), a diploma and an entire world at their disposal.
While they may or may not realize it, they are also a walking open canvas as they once were in childhood, almost experiencing a re-birth of sorts. A whip of the brush is a splash of life and every stroke contributes to defining their new identities.
Some might be looking upon themselves wondering where they will go and what they will do, some will go directly into their career of choice, and others will wonder how they have strayed from their childhood dreams. This form of reflection is, arguably, the most detrimental self analysis that one can put himself or herself through. It is the thought that a poor degree decision may have been made and the conceptualizing of that which one’s degree might represent.
A bachelor’s degree could land an individual in a position of being under-qualified for the career that they really wish to obtain while being over-qualified for the career that they will have.
To combat these reflections, here are some thoughts that I believe will aid a new graduate in finding comfort in their inevitable unsettling vulnerability.
It will be important for you to maintain confidence in your new professional identity. To do this, seek to pursue your passions in your workplace, even if your workplace does not directly relate to your passions.
It is important never to forget that which compelled you to shape yourself into who you are, at the very least, for your own sanity.
Remember that you are in a unique position to relate to that child that knew exactly what he or she wanted to do later in life. Your graduation represents a re-birth in which new goals can be set and a certain degree of simplicity can be returned to you (at least for a little while).
There are always options in life and you are never in a position where you must settle.
Although sometimes you might feel as though you painted yourself into a corner, the paint will always dry and you will be eventually be able to leave the room.
While I know that I have strayed from my own childhood career choice, I personally find comfort in the fact that I will be able to express myself in a similar fashion, only utilizing a different artistic medium.
I might be poor but I will be happy.
It would definitely be a huge bummer to be poor, though.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sins of the Father
Sins of the father
By Jonathan Lane April 7, 2008
WALKING DOWN THE NARROW HALLWAYS gave me a claustrophobic panic and a feeling that life was being sucked from me slowly, departing in the form of innocence and naiveté. The flickering lights above me cast a shadow on the faces of the delinquents as if physically revealing the conflicted half of a social identity riddled with poor decision making faculties and an improper upbringing.
At first, I felt no compassion for these youths while touring the old Fresno juvenile detention center. It was their wrongdoings that had determined their confined and highly restricted circumstances. The cold, unforgiving benches in their pods could be ideal for pondering and attempting to conceptualize the fragile societal web that requires appropriate conduct for optimal functionality.
Soon, an inevitable question entered my mind: Where the heck were their parents?
I understand that, in the equation of crime, there is a great deal of unknown variables. We can only speculate on crime’s enabling factors with the aid of “Uniform Crime Reports” and “Victimization Survey” data. However, for juveniles, the driving forces are seemingly more concise.
With proper parental control and guidance, a child should not even be exposed to an environment that would be conducive to committing crimes and social wrong doings. Beyond the walls of their homes, school should be the only arena in which a youth would run the risk of being poorly influenced however, a proper upbringing would equip the child with the ability to make appropriate decisions to avoid this.
As I walked the halls of the detention center, the juveniles were partaking in a variety of activities to pass the time. Card games were being played, pictures were being drawn and, on occasion, obscenities were being shouted from behind a few pod doors.
Weren’t these activities things that could be done at home? Have the juvenile detention “campuses” become an opportunity for parents to dodge accountability and their parental responsibilities?
While the Fresno area has newly built and opened a detention center, I have recently grown increasingly confused by the city’s priorities and, ticked off by the tax strain that has been placed upon the public to fund this juvenile delinquent system. From my personal observations, these detention facilities serve to accomplish very little in the way of reform while allowing irresponsible parents an opportunity to let the city do what they could not — watch their kids!
Parents and their youths seemingly have no concept of ethical and moral reasoning, a leading factor of recidivism. Without some form of a solid cognitive reasoning system, it is impossible to correct the situation.
Are the juvenile detention facilities worth it?
Well, they absolutely could be with some minor program and criminal process enhancements.
First, decks of cards should be replaced with literature of ethical and moral philosophy. Instead of learning how to gamble, the youths can attempt to understand the role that they play in society and how their actions affect others.
Second, the juveniles’ detention experience should be funded entirely by the family. If the immediate parents can not afford the bill, then it should be dispersed amongst the next nearest relatives. If poor parenting is indeed the cause of these wrong-doings, then the whole family should be penalized. Parenting ideology is not “made out of thin air” rather, is based familiar experience and influence.
Lastly, the parents should be forced to serve a portion of the sentence with their child. This time together could prove to enhance their relationship, be an educational experience, and maintain parental accountability all in tandem.
I do understand that it is much more complicated than that but, based on my tour of the detention center, and being a product of strong parenting, I know that holding parents accountable for their children is definitely a step in the right direction.
Oh yeah, and don’t let your children run around in department stores either.
It’s really annoying.
By Jonathan Lane April 7, 2008
WALKING DOWN THE NARROW HALLWAYS gave me a claustrophobic panic and a feeling that life was being sucked from me slowly, departing in the form of innocence and naiveté. The flickering lights above me cast a shadow on the faces of the delinquents as if physically revealing the conflicted half of a social identity riddled with poor decision making faculties and an improper upbringing.
At first, I felt no compassion for these youths while touring the old Fresno juvenile detention center. It was their wrongdoings that had determined their confined and highly restricted circumstances. The cold, unforgiving benches in their pods could be ideal for pondering and attempting to conceptualize the fragile societal web that requires appropriate conduct for optimal functionality.
Soon, an inevitable question entered my mind: Where the heck were their parents?
I understand that, in the equation of crime, there is a great deal of unknown variables. We can only speculate on crime’s enabling factors with the aid of “Uniform Crime Reports” and “Victimization Survey” data. However, for juveniles, the driving forces are seemingly more concise.
With proper parental control and guidance, a child should not even be exposed to an environment that would be conducive to committing crimes and social wrong doings. Beyond the walls of their homes, school should be the only arena in which a youth would run the risk of being poorly influenced however, a proper upbringing would equip the child with the ability to make appropriate decisions to avoid this.
As I walked the halls of the detention center, the juveniles were partaking in a variety of activities to pass the time. Card games were being played, pictures were being drawn and, on occasion, obscenities were being shouted from behind a few pod doors.
Weren’t these activities things that could be done at home? Have the juvenile detention “campuses” become an opportunity for parents to dodge accountability and their parental responsibilities?
While the Fresno area has newly built and opened a detention center, I have recently grown increasingly confused by the city’s priorities and, ticked off by the tax strain that has been placed upon the public to fund this juvenile delinquent system. From my personal observations, these detention facilities serve to accomplish very little in the way of reform while allowing irresponsible parents an opportunity to let the city do what they could not — watch their kids!
Parents and their youths seemingly have no concept of ethical and moral reasoning, a leading factor of recidivism. Without some form of a solid cognitive reasoning system, it is impossible to correct the situation.
Are the juvenile detention facilities worth it?
Well, they absolutely could be with some minor program and criminal process enhancements.
First, decks of cards should be replaced with literature of ethical and moral philosophy. Instead of learning how to gamble, the youths can attempt to understand the role that they play in society and how their actions affect others.
Second, the juveniles’ detention experience should be funded entirely by the family. If the immediate parents can not afford the bill, then it should be dispersed amongst the next nearest relatives. If poor parenting is indeed the cause of these wrong-doings, then the whole family should be penalized. Parenting ideology is not “made out of thin air” rather, is based familiar experience and influence.
Lastly, the parents should be forced to serve a portion of the sentence with their child. This time together could prove to enhance their relationship, be an educational experience, and maintain parental accountability all in tandem.
I do understand that it is much more complicated than that but, based on my tour of the detention center, and being a product of strong parenting, I know that holding parents accountable for their children is definitely a step in the right direction.
Oh yeah, and don’t let your children run around in department stores either.
It’s really annoying.
Ska Lives!
Ska lives!
By Jonathan Lane March 7, 2008
Skank.
To some, this word might carry some less than positive connotations, however to me it represents nostalgia strung together by five simple letters.
Personally, the word’s first three letters summarize my very pivotal teenage developmental years.
“Ska,” if you didn’t know or simply forgot, is essentially a musical genre that seemingly combines reggae principles with rock or even punk principles.
The “skank” is the traditionally preferred form of dance that followers of this genre perform in circular mosh pits at their typically intimate ska venue of choice.
As a teenager going to see these bands perform, I would like to imagine that the sound waves that were resonating from the stage contained little notes that, while embarking on a journey to my senses, were hopping about in a jovial celebratory manner.
In my youth, this explanation alone could feed my curiosity when attempting to determine how a genre such as this can be so incredibly uplifting.
The traditional ska band is comprised of one or more guitarists who play relentless, yet addicting, repetitive off-beat patterns, a bassist who maintains a walking bass line and a horn section that varies in size and sound.
It’s no real surprise if these descriptions are not ringing a bell.
As the saying goes, “ska is dead.”
Individuals who contend that this statement is generally true have, at best, merely scratched the surface of ska as a genre.
When someone mentions ska music, a few contemporary bands might come to mind or even come up in casual conversation.
Reel Big Fish might be tossed about. So too might The Mighty Mighty Bosstones with their mainstream hit “The Impression that I Get,” or even Bradley Nowell’s legendary band Sublime.
While this modest list may contain some bands that you might have had a musical run-in with, it still does no justice to the argument that ska is very much alive.
While ska listeners are showering sweat in the mosh pits, it is not a mere cult genre that compels them.
Ska is actually an eclectic monster of a musical style whose roots are firmly planted in Jamaica around 1945.
Establishing itself almost 20 years before its cousin genre reggae, ska arguably implements the musical techniques of jazz from the 1920s and even rock which was delivered to our ears only shortly after.
The fact of the matter is that ska music is one that we, in the Western world, have been inadvertently conditioned to love and know.
With a music as seemingly well-defined and established as this, one might ask how, then, it has faded into obscurity?
The answer is that ska music is popular and has always been.
However, it’s the listener’s inability to define the genre by way of sound that allows the musical style to be lost in a sea of contemporary garbage.
You see, ska music has a liquidity that enables it to envelope the characteristics of any popular genre, including punk or reggae or rock. It’s this elasticity that allowed many people to find some interest in ska music.
Perhaps it’s this same characteristic which has been ska’s undoing in the marketplace.
No one person can realistically remain a fan of ska due to its elasticity. The genre is so indistinct that the minute any one person finds a band that they can identify with, ska has completely departed from that band and gone a completely different avenue — one that may or may not interest that same person.
It’s ska’s ever-changing nature which both works to define, redefine, and eventually unpopularize the genre.
While this brief explanation may have shed some light on the “ska is dead” controversy, a constant in this ever-changing musical expression remains: whether you like it or not, ska is here, has always been here, and will continue to be here for a very long time.
If find yourself rejoicing about this fact, then celebrate by listening to some Streetlight Manifesto, RX Bandits, or even some Mad Caddies.
If not, then get over it.
By Jonathan Lane March 7, 2008
Skank.
To some, this word might carry some less than positive connotations, however to me it represents nostalgia strung together by five simple letters.
Personally, the word’s first three letters summarize my very pivotal teenage developmental years.
“Ska,” if you didn’t know or simply forgot, is essentially a musical genre that seemingly combines reggae principles with rock or even punk principles.
The “skank” is the traditionally preferred form of dance that followers of this genre perform in circular mosh pits at their typically intimate ska venue of choice.
As a teenager going to see these bands perform, I would like to imagine that the sound waves that were resonating from the stage contained little notes that, while embarking on a journey to my senses, were hopping about in a jovial celebratory manner.
In my youth, this explanation alone could feed my curiosity when attempting to determine how a genre such as this can be so incredibly uplifting.
The traditional ska band is comprised of one or more guitarists who play relentless, yet addicting, repetitive off-beat patterns, a bassist who maintains a walking bass line and a horn section that varies in size and sound.
It’s no real surprise if these descriptions are not ringing a bell.
As the saying goes, “ska is dead.”
Individuals who contend that this statement is generally true have, at best, merely scratched the surface of ska as a genre.
When someone mentions ska music, a few contemporary bands might come to mind or even come up in casual conversation.
Reel Big Fish might be tossed about. So too might The Mighty Mighty Bosstones with their mainstream hit “The Impression that I Get,” or even Bradley Nowell’s legendary band Sublime.
While this modest list may contain some bands that you might have had a musical run-in with, it still does no justice to the argument that ska is very much alive.
While ska listeners are showering sweat in the mosh pits, it is not a mere cult genre that compels them.
Ska is actually an eclectic monster of a musical style whose roots are firmly planted in Jamaica around 1945.
Establishing itself almost 20 years before its cousin genre reggae, ska arguably implements the musical techniques of jazz from the 1920s and even rock which was delivered to our ears only shortly after.
The fact of the matter is that ska music is one that we, in the Western world, have been inadvertently conditioned to love and know.
With a music as seemingly well-defined and established as this, one might ask how, then, it has faded into obscurity?
The answer is that ska music is popular and has always been.
However, it’s the listener’s inability to define the genre by way of sound that allows the musical style to be lost in a sea of contemporary garbage.
You see, ska music has a liquidity that enables it to envelope the characteristics of any popular genre, including punk or reggae or rock. It’s this elasticity that allowed many people to find some interest in ska music.
Perhaps it’s this same characteristic which has been ska’s undoing in the marketplace.
No one person can realistically remain a fan of ska due to its elasticity. The genre is so indistinct that the minute any one person finds a band that they can identify with, ska has completely departed from that band and gone a completely different avenue — one that may or may not interest that same person.
It’s ska’s ever-changing nature which both works to define, redefine, and eventually unpopularize the genre.
While this brief explanation may have shed some light on the “ska is dead” controversy, a constant in this ever-changing musical expression remains: whether you like it or not, ska is here, has always been here, and will continue to be here for a very long time.
If find yourself rejoicing about this fact, then celebrate by listening to some Streetlight Manifesto, RX Bandits, or even some Mad Caddies.
If not, then get over it.
California Gold
California Gold
By Jonathan Lane February 8, 2008
IN A WORLD AS TECHNOLOGICALLY progressive as our own, it has become increasingly difficult to incorporate nature, in its most raw and pure form, into our daily lives. Sure, we interact with natural products such as the lumber that provides us with shelter or the wealth of vegetation that the Central Valley is prized and celebrated for, but how often do we find ourselves magically lost amongst a pure and natural world, unharmed by the hands of man?
My fondest memories as a child consist of long and grueling car rides with my family to locations of natural splendor where I could be sure that, at least for one day, my imaginative faculties could take the reign of my psyche and I could climb rocks, trees, hike and explore just as children had done hundreds of years before me.
As loyal Californians, our family would visit many of the truly special state parks and beaches that this great state has to offer. We would fish at Malibu Creek, “catch waves” at Santa Monica beach, view a truly amazing celebration of natural color and growth at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, or simply explore in the Verdugo Mountains.
Visiting these parks, among many others we saw, was a recipe for a well-enriched child upbringing.
Recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released his proposal for the state’s new fiscal budget. In efforts to solve California’s serious budget problems, he has proposed the closing of 48 state parks and the reduction of lifeguard staffing at 16 state beaches. While devastated to hear of such a harmful cutback for Californians, I was interested to learn more about how this preposterous budgetary measure could affect the state’s population. In search for an expert opinion, I turned to Huell Howser, host of a variety of educational travel shows including “California’s Gold.”
Howser, who happens to be just as nice in person as he is on his show, was kind enough to grant me a telephone interview to discuss the governor’s park closure proposal.
Initially, I was interested to learn of Howser’s opinion of the California state park system. He explained:
“The parks are one of the few things in California that are available to everyone. You don’t have to be rich or privileged to visit a state park. With growing urbanization, crowded freeways, and ongoing development, parks give Californians somewhere to get away from it all.”
As a child, I can say that I took advantage of this. In one’s developmental years, nature is not temporary. It will always be there to fulfill your recreational needs. In this sense, state parks become increasingly more valuable with life experience while the individual witnesses dirt roads transforming into concrete slabs and concrete slabs being utilized as a foundation for yet another Starbucks. With these rapid transformations in mind, one ponders the role that preserved natural state parks play in our society. Can we afford to close down that which reminds us of what this world was like before we dumped cement on top of it?
In concurrence, Huell and I began discussing the state budget to which he explained:
“We need a long term, better way to finance state parks so they are not at the mercy of the fiscal budget … parks contribute to the economy. To keep parks open, there first must be a commitment to keeping parks open.”
Howser’s opinion regarding this budget proposal was insightful. California state parks will always be considered for closure if we “limp in” to keeping them open every year. Without a strong financial foundation and real intent, the parks will always be waiting in line for the chopping block at the years end.
Many speculate that the governor proposes to close parks because he wishes to avoid making cut-backs in education. If this is indeed the case, than his proposal will do just that. Our California state parks system is our most interactive educational tool. Many youths and adults alike can learn a great deal about California rich history, culture, and the environment as I had the opportunity to do myself with my family. When more of the population is educated about our state history and the environment, our communities that stretch to all borders, becomes smaller and more intimate. In this way, the parks system brings cohesiveness and solidarity to California, characteristics that would be very beneficial.
While what was once natural might always inevitably transform into “consumer free-for-alls,” I know that I will always have the memories of fresh air, running streams, magnificent rock structures and deep, healthy forests to find simplicity and tranquility. My only hope is that our future provides the same opportunities to youth and adults all throughout California.
In the words of Howser, “the state parks are the prime jewels of California.” That being said, show your support of our parks system by visiting the many park locations here in the beautiful central valley.
If you feel strongly against Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal to close down 48 of our California state parks, then feel free to visit the California Park & Recreation Society Web site. You will find more information regarding this proposal as well as some recommendations of how you might go about fighting it.
By Jonathan Lane February 8, 2008
IN A WORLD AS TECHNOLOGICALLY progressive as our own, it has become increasingly difficult to incorporate nature, in its most raw and pure form, into our daily lives. Sure, we interact with natural products such as the lumber that provides us with shelter or the wealth of vegetation that the Central Valley is prized and celebrated for, but how often do we find ourselves magically lost amongst a pure and natural world, unharmed by the hands of man?
My fondest memories as a child consist of long and grueling car rides with my family to locations of natural splendor where I could be sure that, at least for one day, my imaginative faculties could take the reign of my psyche and I could climb rocks, trees, hike and explore just as children had done hundreds of years before me.
As loyal Californians, our family would visit many of the truly special state parks and beaches that this great state has to offer. We would fish at Malibu Creek, “catch waves” at Santa Monica beach, view a truly amazing celebration of natural color and growth at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, or simply explore in the Verdugo Mountains.
Visiting these parks, among many others we saw, was a recipe for a well-enriched child upbringing.
Recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released his proposal for the state’s new fiscal budget. In efforts to solve California’s serious budget problems, he has proposed the closing of 48 state parks and the reduction of lifeguard staffing at 16 state beaches. While devastated to hear of such a harmful cutback for Californians, I was interested to learn more about how this preposterous budgetary measure could affect the state’s population. In search for an expert opinion, I turned to Huell Howser, host of a variety of educational travel shows including “California’s Gold.”
Howser, who happens to be just as nice in person as he is on his show, was kind enough to grant me a telephone interview to discuss the governor’s park closure proposal.
Initially, I was interested to learn of Howser’s opinion of the California state park system. He explained:
“The parks are one of the few things in California that are available to everyone. You don’t have to be rich or privileged to visit a state park. With growing urbanization, crowded freeways, and ongoing development, parks give Californians somewhere to get away from it all.”
As a child, I can say that I took advantage of this. In one’s developmental years, nature is not temporary. It will always be there to fulfill your recreational needs. In this sense, state parks become increasingly more valuable with life experience while the individual witnesses dirt roads transforming into concrete slabs and concrete slabs being utilized as a foundation for yet another Starbucks. With these rapid transformations in mind, one ponders the role that preserved natural state parks play in our society. Can we afford to close down that which reminds us of what this world was like before we dumped cement on top of it?
In concurrence, Huell and I began discussing the state budget to which he explained:
“We need a long term, better way to finance state parks so they are not at the mercy of the fiscal budget … parks contribute to the economy. To keep parks open, there first must be a commitment to keeping parks open.”
Howser’s opinion regarding this budget proposal was insightful. California state parks will always be considered for closure if we “limp in” to keeping them open every year. Without a strong financial foundation and real intent, the parks will always be waiting in line for the chopping block at the years end.
Many speculate that the governor proposes to close parks because he wishes to avoid making cut-backs in education. If this is indeed the case, than his proposal will do just that. Our California state parks system is our most interactive educational tool. Many youths and adults alike can learn a great deal about California rich history, culture, and the environment as I had the opportunity to do myself with my family. When more of the population is educated about our state history and the environment, our communities that stretch to all borders, becomes smaller and more intimate. In this way, the parks system brings cohesiveness and solidarity to California, characteristics that would be very beneficial.
While what was once natural might always inevitably transform into “consumer free-for-alls,” I know that I will always have the memories of fresh air, running streams, magnificent rock structures and deep, healthy forests to find simplicity and tranquility. My only hope is that our future provides the same opportunities to youth and adults all throughout California.
In the words of Howser, “the state parks are the prime jewels of California.” That being said, show your support of our parks system by visiting the many park locations here in the beautiful central valley.
If you feel strongly against Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal to close down 48 of our California state parks, then feel free to visit the California Park & Recreation Society Web site. You will find more information regarding this proposal as well as some recommendations of how you might go about fighting it.
Dollars and Sense
Dollars and sense
By Jonathan Lane January 17, 2008
STANDING IN THE fall semester textbook buyback line only a few weeks ago brought about an all too familiar sensation for me. Some might refer to this sensation as deja vu. While attempting to understand my confused familiarity, I naturally attempted to piece together the puzzle that had led me to a world of such striking unknowns. Had I done this before?
I soon came to understand that it was not the act of standing in line that was familiar to me. Rather, it was the anxious “I’m getting ripped off” sensation that I had felt while purchasing those same texts only a few months prior.
At this moment, I realized that something in this equation was wrong.
Typically, one feels as though he or she is getting “taken for a ride” when kissing hard-earned money goodbye, and not the contrary.
Dubious of the system, I attempted to conceptualize the transaction.
When one purchases a textbook, he or she is not merely buying some words thoughtfully strung together into sentences and paragraphs that help them “not fail a class.”
When one purchases a textbook, he or she is buying information and knowledge. Granted, editors, authors and publishers should be compensated for their work, as I expect to be compensated for bussing tables at the restaurant where I am employed.
To the student body, we are purchasing knowledge, a concept more than a commodity to be bought and sold.
To complicate this equation further, I buy “used information” — that is, information that someone else has already read or not read depending on one’s work ethic — for cheaper.
Somehow, the previous reader’s eyes have devalued the information that I am buying, making it more affordable for me.
Regardless, an anthology will still cost around $40 used and worth about $16 upon me selling it back. How are these prices negotiated?
Sparing you a long-winded lesson on neoclassical economics, the pricing of textbooks is dictated by the textbook’s publisher and the demand of the textbook in the world of academia.
In a 2005 Los Angeles Times article investigating this textbook debate, Kathy M. Kristof paraphrases J. Bruce Hildebrand, the executive director for higher education at the Association of American Publishers in Washington, as explaining “the costs largely reflect professors’ demands for constant updating, photographs, graphics and interactive tools that can help struggling students at any hour of the day or night over the Internet.”
The debate that surrounds this argument is built upon a vast amount of professors around the entire country who contend that they have no real options presented to them when it comes to requesting textbooks.
It seems that the “cheaper” versions of these textbooks that exclude the “extra stuff” are not as readily available for professors to request as the publishing companies suggest they might be.
While these cheaper or slightly older textbook editions might be available, they are not easily accessible. Educators are seemingly forced to “jump through hoops” to order these books making them more trouble than they are worth (assuming that they are even notified of a cheaper version’s existence, which the publishers might conveniently neglect to communicate).
On a personal level, in every course that I have taken at Fresno State, my instructor has gone over the syllabus and apologized for the textbook prices and “wishes that they could be cheaper.”
This tells me that the university is not completely to be blamed for the lightening of my wallet. Still, after gazing at the balance in my bank account after textbook sales, I sleep no better knowing that the publishers might be to blame.
Luckily, we have options. For the past four years, my colleagues have suggested that I purchase my textbooks online. Not being the most technologically inclined student at Fresno State, I had ignored their promises of savings and fortune.
The fall 2007 semester was different. Disillusioned by the entire industry, I decided to test the waters and boldly found my way onto Half.com, one of the many Web sites carrying discount textbooks that the information superhighway has to offer.
Careful not to get carried away, I decided that “baby steps” would best suit me, baby steps that resulted in the purchase of only one book. Quoted a whopping $24 at the Kennel Bookstore, I was only charged 75 cents by my new online academic companion.
I have resolved never to return to traditional book buying again.
While the textbook debate might never cease to exist, and that “I’m getting ripped off” feeling might always be familiar when buying and selling your textbooks on campus, I have found that it’s best to understand that nobody should feel trapped.
When being overcharged for “knowledge,” you might want to tap one of the largest sources for knowledge that exists: the Internet.
Even if you don’t find that “deal of the century” that I found, you will undoubtedly find that “waiting in line” is much quicker online — and you can surf Facebook while you do it.
By Jonathan Lane January 17, 2008
STANDING IN THE fall semester textbook buyback line only a few weeks ago brought about an all too familiar sensation for me. Some might refer to this sensation as deja vu. While attempting to understand my confused familiarity, I naturally attempted to piece together the puzzle that had led me to a world of such striking unknowns. Had I done this before?
I soon came to understand that it was not the act of standing in line that was familiar to me. Rather, it was the anxious “I’m getting ripped off” sensation that I had felt while purchasing those same texts only a few months prior.
At this moment, I realized that something in this equation was wrong.
Typically, one feels as though he or she is getting “taken for a ride” when kissing hard-earned money goodbye, and not the contrary.
Dubious of the system, I attempted to conceptualize the transaction.
When one purchases a textbook, he or she is not merely buying some words thoughtfully strung together into sentences and paragraphs that help them “not fail a class.”
When one purchases a textbook, he or she is buying information and knowledge. Granted, editors, authors and publishers should be compensated for their work, as I expect to be compensated for bussing tables at the restaurant where I am employed.
To the student body, we are purchasing knowledge, a concept more than a commodity to be bought and sold.
To complicate this equation further, I buy “used information” — that is, information that someone else has already read or not read depending on one’s work ethic — for cheaper.
Somehow, the previous reader’s eyes have devalued the information that I am buying, making it more affordable for me.
Regardless, an anthology will still cost around $40 used and worth about $16 upon me selling it back. How are these prices negotiated?
Sparing you a long-winded lesson on neoclassical economics, the pricing of textbooks is dictated by the textbook’s publisher and the demand of the textbook in the world of academia.
In a 2005 Los Angeles Times article investigating this textbook debate, Kathy M. Kristof paraphrases J. Bruce Hildebrand, the executive director for higher education at the Association of American Publishers in Washington, as explaining “the costs largely reflect professors’ demands for constant updating, photographs, graphics and interactive tools that can help struggling students at any hour of the day or night over the Internet.”
The debate that surrounds this argument is built upon a vast amount of professors around the entire country who contend that they have no real options presented to them when it comes to requesting textbooks.
It seems that the “cheaper” versions of these textbooks that exclude the “extra stuff” are not as readily available for professors to request as the publishing companies suggest they might be.
While these cheaper or slightly older textbook editions might be available, they are not easily accessible. Educators are seemingly forced to “jump through hoops” to order these books making them more trouble than they are worth (assuming that they are even notified of a cheaper version’s existence, which the publishers might conveniently neglect to communicate).
On a personal level, in every course that I have taken at Fresno State, my instructor has gone over the syllabus and apologized for the textbook prices and “wishes that they could be cheaper.”
This tells me that the university is not completely to be blamed for the lightening of my wallet. Still, after gazing at the balance in my bank account after textbook sales, I sleep no better knowing that the publishers might be to blame.
Luckily, we have options. For the past four years, my colleagues have suggested that I purchase my textbooks online. Not being the most technologically inclined student at Fresno State, I had ignored their promises of savings and fortune.
The fall 2007 semester was different. Disillusioned by the entire industry, I decided to test the waters and boldly found my way onto Half.com, one of the many Web sites carrying discount textbooks that the information superhighway has to offer.
Careful not to get carried away, I decided that “baby steps” would best suit me, baby steps that resulted in the purchase of only one book. Quoted a whopping $24 at the Kennel Bookstore, I was only charged 75 cents by my new online academic companion.
I have resolved never to return to traditional book buying again.
While the textbook debate might never cease to exist, and that “I’m getting ripped off” feeling might always be familiar when buying and selling your textbooks on campus, I have found that it’s best to understand that nobody should feel trapped.
When being overcharged for “knowledge,” you might want to tap one of the largest sources for knowledge that exists: the Internet.
Even if you don’t find that “deal of the century” that I found, you will undoubtedly find that “waiting in line” is much quicker online — and you can surf Facebook while you do it.
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