Weighing in on the bookstore’s fate

The bloody frontline of debate these days is the controversial and arguably exaggerated bookstore outsourcing issue.

It's figuratively World War II all over again, with disgruntled students and faculty on one side and the good-intentioned university officials on the other. The question is, who is the Axis and who are the Allies?

On a rare positive note, outsourcing the bookstore does come with many benefits. Sensationalist propaganda aside, it could potentially generate much more revenue. The current bookstore makes about $500,000 a year in profit; the new incarnation of the bookstore is estimated to make at least 10 percent more than that.

Admittedly, that's a very petty and stereotypically capitalist argument. The bottom line is that bucks make the man, and Seattle University is ready for puberty even if that means giving up its innocence to Barnes and Noble.

Numbers don't lie. The amount of revenue our bookstore generates for an independent institution is nearly double the national average. If outsourcing can push that number even higher, then that's fairly impressive. Granted, outsourcing would remove the bookstore as an independent. Don't forget that money is a universally understood language.

Also, all the other cool Jesuit universities around the country outsource their bookstore. Twenty out of 28 universities, including Gonzaga, outsource. You wouldn't want Seattle U to be the awkward non-outsourced wallflower of the group, would you?

Having a faceless corporate presence on campus that is not Bon Appetit could have unseen benefits as well. Get over your fear of "The Man" and see the bright side. A corporation like Barnes and Noble has access to infinitely more resources than a small independent could ever hope for.

If you've ever been disappointed by the paltry selection of trade books then you know what I'm talking about. This is doubly true when you consider that the only notebooks for sale are made from recycled paper bags.

Also consider that even if the new bookstore does not have the book you need or want how much faster a book order would get to you under the mantle of a corporation. If you despise corporate tyranny then that's well and good, but you can't doubt the sheer efficiency of the system.

I also like to envision a mini-Starbucks branch in the corner of the room so I can get my daily injection of espresso.

Now on an all-too-common negative note, outsourcing the bookstore could rock some serious waves. One too many Seattle U students have paid $300 for a used science textbook that is only relevant to one class. The price of Pilot G-2 pens is about $3, a high price to pay to exercise my writer's hand.

A part of the debate against outsourcing is the fear that it would bring even higher prices to our humble bookstore stands. The understanding is that we poor college students barely survive on scraps and charity. How are we ever going to withstand a 10 percent price hike?

Another more pressing issue is the loss of work-study in the bookstore if it were outsourced. Many students work there as cashiers, stock personnel or tech specialists. Under an outsourced bookstore, students who manage to find work might only be paid minimum wage. Not to mention that the work-study program would likely take a hit.
This is America. Americans like to have jobs. An American without a job—even one in the bookstore—is not a happy patriot.

The greater unseen problem of outsourcing, and the same issue that is causing a rise in student and faculty protest, is whether outsourcing is really in the best interest of the school.

Bon Appetit is a good example of an outsourced corporation whose mission statement actually coincides with that of the university. Specifically, I mean the part about sustainability and all that nonsense about composting.

We would likely not get that with a large corporation again. It's an issue that affects the very identity of Seattle U itself and one that the students are proudly aware of. Just join that Facebook group and see it for yourself.

By the way, I find it hilarious that hunger strikes have been replaced by modern Internet strikes.

The decision to outsource the bookstore was to be finalized at the end of last year. The unexpected uproar in protest, unfortunately lacking a ridiculous display of violence, has pushed that decision back to November.

You can bet that if the bookstore is eventually outsourced, opponents will not be content to displaying their opinions in print, no matter how harsh.

After all, actions speak louder than the written word ever could.