Early reports key to stolen textbook recovery
By Rita Dell
■ The Oracle
U. of Southern Florida
Students and outsiders commonly steal textbooks,
most often from the library and the residence hal Is, and
attempt to sell them back to the Textbook (.'enter on
campus or the Book Center for U. of Southern Florida,
said Lt. Boh Staehle of the University Police
Staehle said the content of the books doesn't matter
very much to the thieves.
“If it’s in pood shape and is a USF-required textbook
that can be resold, they will take it," he said
Two 18-year-old female students were apprehended
when they tried to sell stolen textbooks to the Textbook
Center last Febuary, according to UP records.
The books, which were valued at $141, were reported
stolen from a study table at the library.
In this case, the owner immediately reported the
theft to the UP, who routinely informs both book cen
ter.s about stolen textbooks, Staehle said
He said the two suspects also were m possession ot
two other textbooks that had not Ixx-n reported stolen
The suspects told officers they had found the five
[took* abandoned in front of Cooper Hall and had tried
unsuccessfully to find the owner, Staehle said
“Textbook theft really picks up at the end ot each
semester with the book buy-back,” Staehle said
Doug Gatanis, who is the text manager for the B<x>k
Center for CSF, said, “We have at least '10 people at
the beginning ot a semester reporting their books
stolen.”
Gatanis said Ixxik thefts are reported to the center
most often during the first and last two weeks of class.
Gatanis said when he is informed of a theft by the
l ?P or by a student, he tries to get a description of the
(xxik and of any distinguishable marks He said he then
puts the information into a computer
If someone tries to sell hack a stolen textlxxik, the
computer will match it and alert the employees.
(latanis said
“W** then report it to the police." he said.
(latanis said he looks for people who bring m books
often or who don’t look like students
I iowever. unless the books are reported stolen there
is not much that can be done, he said
“Keen if we think the books are stolen, we can't
refuse to buy them hack." Gatams said.
Jeff Mack, the general manager of all USF hook
stores, said the Tbxtbook ('enter also uses a computer
system to identify stolen books
Mack said ins biggest problem is getting people to let
the center know about stolen 1 looks so he can put the
information on the computer
Staehle said students could protect their luniks by
picking out the same page in each txiok and writing
in their names or social security numbers in small
print
The thief probably wouldn't take time Pi look for
something like that, he said
NASA uses schools to design space habitats
By Janette Poole
■ Kansas State Collegian
Kansas State U.
Kansas State U. has been selected by
NASA U) formulate designs for human
habitats in outer space.
The project will examine the control of
closed environmental systems used in
space travel and living said Allen Cogley,
department head of mechanical engi
neering at Kansas State l
Cogley said the mechanical and chem
ical engineering departments were cho
sen to administer the project at his uni
versity, including an advanced design
team of about 30 students per year
The KSU proposal, “Automation of
Closed Environments in Space for
Human Comfort and Safety,” provides
$25,000 per year for the salary ot a grad
unto assistant, permanent equipment,
communication networks, travel
expenses and supplies, Cogley said. The
graduate assistant acts as the liaison
between the university and NASA.
At least 20 percent of the team mem
tiers, who will bo able to obtain credit
from their departments for their work,
will be from departments other than
engineering, Cogley said. Applicants
should be second-semester juniors or
first-semester seniors because of the
time commitment and the level ot work
involved The project is an excellent
opportunity for future employment with
NASA. < 'oglev said.
“It’s a good opportunity for students
and faculty to get their foot in the door."
he suggested
KSr has previously participated in
NASA projects I'he mechanical engi
neermg department design team won
tiie national competition in 1983-84 for
its work m the specialized design of a
space glove
(logley, who wrote tlie proposal for the
university, said the program was
announced in January. He said the pro
ject is interdisciplinary, with students
and faculty from departmentsofmechan
ical, chemical and electrical engineering,
biology, computer science, human ecolo
gy, and veterinary medicine/physiology.
College Students Having
Financial Services
Source CollegeTrack Inc., 1989
Rent
Continued from page 12
their names on the billings. It often
becomes a verbal agreement, Whitmer
said.
He said roommates should sign an
agreement indicating their responsibil
ities.
■'You are a fool if you don’t sign a room
mate agreement with someone that you
don’t know well,” Whitmer said
The only legal process designed to
recover money from an ex-roommate is
to take him to small claims court to
recover money up to $1,000 or less, he
said
To file in small claims court, the plam
tif must pay the bills, because he can t
sue until they are paid, Whitmer said.
The person filing must do so in the
county where the defendant lives and
the defendant is allowed to set the hear
ing date, he said. If the defendant does
not appear in court, the injured party
wins.
Even with a favorable ruling from the
judge, the ex-roommate may not pay. If
the payment is not made within 15 days
after the judgment, the injured room
mate may he able to garnishee his ex
roommate’s wages if he earns more than
$400 a month.
“The biggest problem is collecting the
money from the ex-roommate and going
to the trouble to get it,” Whitmer said,
adding that small claims court is the
only way to recover money.
Kristy Newlon, junior, was left with
bills at the end of last year.
'I got lucky though, in getting my
money back. I just called my old room
mate’s parents and told them the situ
ation and they reimbursed me,” she
said.
Snakes
Continued from page 12
Tv's credentials.
Besides snake speeches at elementary
schools, Ty provided the Burmese
python eggs for an AB( ’ TV special titled
The World of Snakes.” I le also did illus
trations for Venomous Snakes of Iatm
America, written by biology Assistant
lYofessor Johnathon ( ’ampbell.
"He’s the best illustrator I’ve ever
seen,’ Campbell said. "He has a great
eve for detail."
Ty and Troy should know what snakes
look like, as huge snake skins drape the
hallway into Tv’s room. Inside the room
are more than 30 cages filled with albino
speckled kings, gray-banded king
snakes, corn snakes and, of course,
Burmese python eggs
The brothers had trouble finding
financial backing for their business
until their older brother Karl took stock
in detergent, literally
“He and five other guys bought stock
in some detergents that jumped from
the buying price of 74 cents a share to
$75 a share. He made about $125,000 in
two weeks,” Troy said.
With this financial backing the busi
ness began. Trov said everyone involved
with the business put in up to 20 hour
days, 100 hours a week, which cut into
their schoolwork
An positive attitude has helped, too.
As John said, “Any goal is achievable, if
you so desire."
Troy said he had no plans to start the
business, but rather, just fell into it.
“I never really knew what 1 wanted to
do. I fell into it. Asa result of this, 1 never
lost out on anything, except this girl
from Ohio,” he said.
But
It Is
Retractable.