Nicole Barker | Photographer Students were invited to speak with Adam Petkun and the ASUO on Tuesday afternoon in a town-hall-style meeting held in the Ben Linder Room. IN BRIEF Students voice questions at town-hall meeting A handful of students attended the first ASUO town-hall meeting of the year on Tliesday afternoon to ex press concerns and find out about the ASUO’s current programs. ASUO President Adam Petkun and other ASUO leaders spoke dur ing the open forum, held 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Ben Linder Room of the EMU. Petkun answered questions about topics ranging from the confusing layout of the EMU to the ASUO’s lobbying efforts in Salem. He said student government members and other students will travel to Salem on Tuesday to lobby for increased higher-education funding. Petkun said he was satisfied with turnout at the event and with the quality of questions students asked. He emphasized that students are al ways welcome to express their opin ions at the ASUO office. Petkun also said he hopes the fo rum will become a regular event. Portland State University’s student government holds a town-hall meet ing about once per week, but that might be too frequent for the ASUO, he said. — Parker Howell Books: 'Bundled' items cause trouble for teachers, students Continued from page 1 “Ripoff 101 ” said they used bundled items “rarely” or “never.” Stephen Gladfelter, a math in structor at Lane Community College who spoke at the event, described ways bundled materials can cause problems in the classroom. “The different problems in the workbook weren’t really a represen tative sample of the problems in the book,” Gladfelter said of a book he had taught from. Some books also come bundled with answer keys. While answer keys are intended to help students check their work, Gladfelter said they are often misused. “Obviously students have to take some responsibility for their own habits, biit to have this bundled with the text makes it a little too tempting,” he said. Bookstore Textbook and General Team Leader Chris Standish said the bookstore encourages faculty not to order books packaged in bundles. “We let the faculty know that by requesting bundles, they’re restrict ing access to used books,” Standish said. “We engage in bundle-busting, and I think that’s a really good thing for our students.” Despite the efforts of schools and students, textbook prices are still in creasing. Gladfelter said the text book for an intermediate algebra class he recently taught cost $95, more than any of the textbooks he bought when he took graduate-level math classes five years ago. “For a book that’s not even at the college-transfer level to cost more than a graduate-level book doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” he said. ASUO President Adam Petkun said textbooks represent up to half the cost of attending community colleges and almost a fifth of the cost at some four-year colleges. “This is a trend that puts students deeper in debt and puts access to higher education on its deathbed,” Petkun said. euasylwester@dailyemerald.com glass* • metal* \ \ * plastic • 1 -drink boxes m • all paper* f •> newspaper* A cardboard* lEcVtLE 0 # AlfT # (H>io University # Carnegie Mellon pi Harvard " # 0VU • Brown # and many more / S make -this a winning year/ £jo Pwtks/ Hiillili 4 - Jb Sponsored by RHA) Campus Redydlin^ and University Housing u/v/wvcdydlemaniads.or^ Furnished 1, 2, & 4 bedroom apartments with washer/dryer starting at $300. Call today to ask about our $150 off move-in special. For a limited time only* 021092! • fan bit tiiuiinifl mmm 338-4000 • Bathtubs with showers • Sand volleyball court • Heated pool • Caged basketball court • Private balconies and patios universiTY COMMONS apartments 90 Commons Drive, Eugene, Or 97401 Hours: M-F 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-4i>m, Sun 12pm-5pm Uniformed security 7 days a week • Resident amenity cards • Security Alarm System • 2 and 4 Bedrooms w/ 2 bath • Full Size Washers & dryers • Fully furnished Student Groups! Advertise in the Emerald call 346-4343 or place your ad online at www.dailyemerald.com