Letter to the Editor

Univeristy seeks more money, discards books

To the editor:

How many people really know what is going on at Southeast Missouri State University? My former wife, who was there until graduation in May 1997, took our pickup to the university. When she came home, it was loaded with books. She said the university was throwing them away.

I couldn't believe it. The prices on the books were from $85 to well above $100. The dates on a lot of the books were as late as 1996 and 1997.

Could someone explain this to me? How could anyone justify throwing away books like this, including some that had never been opened?

The university wants more money for a River Campus it doesn't need. Students pay more tuition. It reminds me when I was in the Navy. When we came back from overseas, we threw away whole cases of canned goods so we could get a larger allotment when we went out to sea the next time.

The university regents should know when this many books were destroyed.

HAROLD REED

Leopold, Mo.