As Mike McCarthy enters make-or-break year, unprecedented scrutiny awaits Cowboys coach

While shopping for the upcoming school year on the MBS online bookstore, one word catches your eye: REQUIRED. The bold red, all-caps font draws attention to each title. As you click “Add to cart,” the total price climbs with every new book. When your package arrives, you neatly arrange the textbooks on your shelf. However, as the school year progresses, these books often go unused, their new pages gathering dust.

Students frequently buy new textbooks each year, only to find that many are rarely used. A recent Harker Aquila Instagram poll revealed that 82% of 109 Harker high school students used fewer than half of their textbooks more than once a week, with 48% using less than a quarter of their required materials. Furthermore, 93% of respondents reported purchasing textbooks that they never used during the year.

This underutilization raises questions about the high costs of textbooks. The poll showed that 59% of students spent over $150 on textbooks, and 29% spent more than $300. The lack of perceived value in many textbooks makes their cost seem excessive.

The high price also leads some students to seek alternative methods for acquiring their required materials, including illegal piracy. Twenty-six percent of respondents admitted to using pirated versions, risking their integrity and cybersecurity rather than spending hundreds of dollars. Even students who buy textbooks from reputable sources find it wasteful to purchase materials they rarely use.

To tackle this issue, teachers could conduct a survey at the end of each year to evaluate the usefulness of textbooks and reconsider their reading lists. Based on this feedback, some textbooks could be marked as optional rather than mandatory in the MBS online bookstore. This would help students differentiate between essential texts and supplementary resources, allowing those interested to use additional materials with a clear understanding of their benefits. For texts meant only as supplements, teachers could provide free online resources instead.

Another solution could be a voluntary textbook swap at the end of the year. The poll revealed that 90% of students would be willing to recycle their textbooks for others to use, and 18% already receive textbooks from friends and family. Organizing a school-wide exchange could make this option more accessible, benefiting a larger portion of the student body.

Textbooks are a crucial part of many curricula. By involving the community in evaluating and sharing academic resources, we can ensure that students invest in materials that genuinely enhance their learning experience rather than becoming expensive, underutilized assets.