This is a response letter to the March 28 staff editorial, “B(u)y the (text)book.” On behalf of the Affordable Higher Education campaign in this university’s student chapter of Mary- PIRG, I am writing to make readers aware that Affordable Higher Education is working to gain a significant number of professors on our side to advocate for and support our goal of accessible and widely used open-source textbooks.

Similarly to the views of the editorial board, we believe open-source textbooks are necessary for two main reasons: cutting down the cost of textbooks and alleviating the problem of book shortages.

There is a well-known and infamous meme that asks, “What if the cure to cancer is trapped inside the mind of someone who can’t afford education?” Although the general idea did not originate in the meme, that question has reverberated similar sentiments across the country. It is tragic to think that because higher education has become so unaffordable, people who don’t have access to the proper sources could potentially miss the chance to find the cure to cancer or remedies to so many issues today.

In light of this, MaryPIRG’s Affordable Higher Education campaign has taken many steps to advocate for the transition to using open textbooks. We have tabled and surveyed for students’ advocacy on the subject. Our latest project involves reaching out to professors and discussing why open-source is the best alternative. It is the duty of professors as education advocates to help us pursue fair and accessible educations by taking responsibility for the prices of their books.

It is irrational to idly accept book prices that only benefit the bookstore or the publisher. Much like the editorial addressed, it is also up to us students to advocate for this.

Many people question how or why; even though systematically, many of us feel as though rising costs of education are out of our hands, we need to remember we have a voice. As students, we have the ability to advocate for ourselves and our fellow students.

We at MaryPIRG believe in spreading awareness of this increasingly crucial issue. To quote the student PIRG motto, “Together, we can make change happen.”

Even if you don’t have a professor you know well or are supremely comfortable with, you can still approach one or two. Tell them it is their responsibility to regain control over the books they assign to their classes. Not only does our generation depend on this, but future generations do as well. The stronger we are in numbers, the more we can convince professors this is a moral issue.

Some of our parents may pay for our books today, but if textbook prices keep increasing at such a rapid pace, how can we be sure our children and grandchildren will be able to afford them? The Affordable Higher Education campaign is advocating unfalteringly for students to ensure higher education becomes more of a right and less of a privilege.

Ashley Peralta is MaryPIRG’s Affordable Higher Education social media and visibility coordinator. She can be reached at aperalta121@gmail.com.