Letters to the Editor

Vote in the GSG Elections

Every year, page after page of coverage is devoted to the SGA elections on the campus, when two-thirds of the students at the university elect their representatives. But what about that other third? Graduate students also have an elected representative body - the Graduate Student Government. Composed of an assembly representing every degree program and a seven-member Executive Board, the GSG advocates on behalf of the 10,000 of us pursuing graduate and professional degrees on the campus and abroad. From parking problems and shuttle routes to housing development, grievance procedures and state lawmaking, we tackle all the issues, big and small, that confront graduate students in the course of our careers. Also this year, an important referendum will be on the ballot. Vote now! From April 9 -16, the GSG elections will take place online at Testudo (www.testudo.umd.edu). We promise not to bother you at home or put obnoxious chalk drawings on the sidewalk, but please take a few minutes during the week to exercise your right to choose who represents your needs and views. Encourage your friends and classmates to do the same!

The GSG Executive Board

Support the HOUSE party for cheaper textbooks

Safety, housing, affordable education and the quality of university academics are all hot-button issues on the campus, especially during the weeks of SGA campaigning. So what about textbooks? That's right, textbooks. The newspaper you're reading might be resting on top of some right now. Even if it's not, no one on the campus fails to notice they're incredibly expensive. Even if I end up getting into all of the classes I want for next fall, the moment I pump my fist in glory at my computer screen on April 24, my joy will likely be ruined after I hit the "Books" link and find out the size of the dent it's going to put in my and my parents' bank accounts. So how do I avoid that inevitable phone call explaining why they need to pay several hundred dollars just for textbooks? For one, if the Maryland General Assembly continues to fail in enacting legislation requiring professors to post book lists eight weeks before the semester begins, then university policy needs to pick up the slack. It's hard to bypass the unreasonably high prices at the major textbook outlets on and off the campus by buying my books online when professors often post the book list during the first week of class. Also, it burns me up knowing exactly how much the stores make off me each semester. We need a free online book exchange where university students can buy, sell and trade books from other university students. Members of the HOUSE Party including myself want to make college affordable. If elected to the Student Government Association, we'll work toward these solutions. Check out www.umdhouse.com to learn more about our platform and to voice your thoughts. And remember to vote on April 15 or 16.

Micah Chervin Freshman Jewish studies and philosophy Candidate for Denton Legislator HOUSE Party

Air Your Views The Diamondback welcomes your comments. Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion@dbk.umd.edu. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and night-time phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to between 550 and 700 words.

Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.

Letters can also be submitted online here.