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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 25, 1998)
University Bookstore sold to private company By Darren Ivy Co-editor Beginning July 1, the University Bookstore will no longer be run by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. But students will have hard time recognizing any changes, said James Main, a member of the Bookstore Outsourcing Review committee. The committee rec ommended Follett College Stores Inc. of Elmhurst, 111., be awarded the new 10-year contract with the UNL. “(Follett’s) hope is that the students won’t notice a differ ence,” s.aid Main, assistant vice chancellor of business and finance and director of University Services. “It will remain the same bookstore — the same name, same manager and same employ ees.” With its contract, Follett Stores will have the exclusive rights to lease, operate and man age bookstore operations on both UNL campuses. In exchange for the exclusive rights, UNL will receive a mini mum of $ 1 million per year the first five years and a minimum of $1.5 million the second five years from Follett Stores, who operate bookstores on 575 other colleges and universities nationwide. The first annual payment is due on or before July 1. Additionally, Follett Stores will spend up to $1 million to redesign and renovate the exist ing facilities at UNL. Furthermore, Follett College Stores will donate $60,000 a year to UNL to be used for scholar ships, academic initiatives, stu dent life enhancements, diversity and gender equity commitments and Title IX compliance within athletics. Follett Stores got the nod over three other book suppliers includ ing Barnes & Noble and Nebraska Bookstore. Main said Follett Stores was the overwhelm ing choice of the committee. “They were very flexible and willing to meet all of our demands,” Main said. “They charge a 23 percent mark up on books which is one of the lowest in the nation, and they buy back books at 60 percent, which is one of the highest in the nation. It was the best economic deal ” The agreement was finalized at the June 20 NU Board of Regents’ meeting when the board accepted the committee’s recom mendation. Follett College Stores Inc. Senior Vice President Scott Deaton said the company put in a bid for UNL because the universi ty is “one of the premiere univer sities in the country.” Deaton said Follett Stores would keep the same University Bookstore employees and of the same programs, but planned to renovate the current bookstore, bring in new technology, expand promotions and take advantage of itsnational buying ability to give students the best deals. “(The University Bookstore) does a lot of good things,” Deaton said. “We will bring our experi ence and expertise that we have developed over a 100 years of dealing with hundreds of univer sities to Nebraska. That will help bring them to the next level in customer services.” A virtual bookstore for stu a The cheap prices and better technology are a win-win situation for everyone." Lou Petteica Senior, restaurant and food ser vice administration dents to order books is one of the new programs Follett Stores will offer. A rebate program in which students receive a gift certificate after purchasing a certain amount of merchandise from the store is another new incentive. Senior restaurant/food service administration major Lou Petricca said he liked the sound of the new deal. “The cheap prices and better technology are a win-win situa tion for everyone,” Petricca said. One group who was a little disappointed that they didn’t get the bid for UNL was the Nebraska Bookstore. “We run the bookstore at the University of Nebraska-Kearney and would have liked to been on campus here,” said Ken Johnson, Nebraska Bookstore general manager. “We think the University will be well served. “There will probably be increased competitiveness, but we are both here to serve the stu dents.” Buried Treasure Sand Dash WIN A 25-INCH COLOR T.V. and MANY OTHER GREAT FRIZES! • $5.95 Prime Rib Sandwich & $6.95 Chicken Cordon Bleu all day! • $150 cans Bud & Bud Light ’Join Big Rod Kano Sport* ** Bit ft Grill and Tho Eagla fata Flbolou* FACfmmd. ' to 7 |un. on Friday, Juna 26tM* $3.75 pitchers of Busch Light, $2 bottles of Two Dogs & $2.50 Margaritas 955 Wert «0» St Lincoln, NE 68528 (402)434-7789 http://www.winkeno.com i' _ ~ ' House votes to stop FDA from abortion drug testing WASHINGTON (AP) — Abortion foes claimed victory Wednesday after the House voted to block the Food and Drug Administration from using feder al money to test, develop or approve any drug that would induce an abortion, including the French pill RU-486. Abortion rights advocates blasted the vote as an attack on women’s rights. The FDA declared RU-486 safe and effective two years ago, but withheld final approval until it received additional informa tion on its manufacture and labeling. The Population Council holds the U.S. rights to market the drug, but has suffered a series of setbacks in finding a manufac turer. The House voted 223-202 to attach an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Tom Cobum, R-Okla., to a $55.9 billion fiscal 1999 spend ing bill for agricultural, nutrition and food stamp programs to pro hibit the federal agency from approving RU-486 or other abor tion-inducing drugs. The overall bill was approved 373-48. The Senate, which is expected to consider its version of the legislation next month, is unlikely to go along with the Coburn amendment. RU-486 works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. It has been found to be safe and effective as a non-surgical method of early abortion during the first nine weeks of pregnancy. A woman can take it as soon as she learns she is pregnant. But Coburn, an abortion opponent and one of a handful of doctors in Congress, argued that such a drug would contradict the FDA’s mission to protect con sumers. "The charge of the FDA is safety,” he said. "To take away life goes completely against the charge of the Food and Drug Administration.” Female members of the House streamed to the floor to denounce the amendment. "I’m sick and tired of debat ing abortion on this floor in the House of Representatives, restriction after restriction, ban after ban, amendment after amendment,” said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. "We need to make abortions less necessary, not more dangerous.” Lowey said RU-486 would increase options for American women, making abortion safer by eliminating the need for invasive surgery. The pill has been avail able outside the United States since 1981 and is used by women in France, Sweden and Great Britain. Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., who serves as a liaison with conserva tive groups that have anti-abor tion legislation at the top of their collective agendas, said the FDA’s job isn’t to make "abor tion on demand” easier and more accessible. "Abortion pills make an unwanted pregnancy the medical equivalent of a headache. Pqp a pill and it will go away,” he said. But angry abortion rights advocates said the vote shows the real goal is to outlaw all abor tions, including those performed at the earliest stages of pregnan cy. "It’s a direct assault on women’s rights,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. Kate Michelman, president of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, said the amendment rais es constitutional concerns since first-trimester abortions are pro tected by the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe vs. Wade. ^heSI Where are j HTi nrpi tt ner jv CA«^ Ticid ^&rc«J AJwcc. Via h^vi B hL™ H m m Jr* 1^1 jaw! fill mnw$ww'^m m \ [;