Last-minute gifts abound at bookstore

By Andrea Makshanoff, On-line Forty-Niner

May 27-29,1998

 

Where does one start in choosing a gift for a graduate who probably needs everything? Good advice can come from the University Bookstore student-employees who see other students window-shopping daily.

Oliver Olivares, a junior in business administration and employee in the University Bookstore gift area suggested diploma and picture frames.

"The good ones, the most expensive ones are the best," Olivares said. The frames in the Bookstore range in price from $44.95 to $124.95.

Olivares also suggested CSULB-logo sweatshirts, which range from $29.95 to $44.00. The sweatshirts are truly popular. This is evident if one observes student traffic on campus for just a few minutes.

The sweatshirts come in gray, black, navy, green and maroon colors, hooded, pullover or zippered, and every combination thereof.

Some less-expensive gifts are the $6.95 black and gold plastic stadium cushions, the CSULB logo black watch cap for $11.95, the gray Long Beach State-logo T-shirts with imprints of the CSULB sports teams for $12.95 and the black ceramic CSULB beer steins for $14.95.

The required graduation packages of announcements, thank-you notes, and cap and gown that range in price from $99.99 to $255.31 may have set the student back in funds, so cash gifts could be a welcome gift to help replenish his or her checking account.

The Computer Store has a wealth of ideas for graduation gifts. Adrian Romero, Computer Store employee and international business major, said that graduating seniors need to take advantage of the educational discounts given by manufacturers to students.

Through the summer and until the fall semester starts, Romero said that graduates are still considered students and can purchase computers and accessories at the Bookstore at the substantial discount, even though they are not attending classes.

"The best deal," Romero said, "is the Power Macintosh G3, starting at $1,577, with keyboard and mouse.

"If you want a laptop, the Slimnote FX200T6 by Twinhead is a good deal," Romero said. "Twinhead only sells to schools and to corporations like Hewlett Packard, Hitachi and Samsung. These corporations then put their own names on the product and sell them for much more."

The FX200T6 has a 200 MHz MMX Pentium processor, 32 MB random access memory, 2GB hard drive and CD-ROM disk drive.

The biggest educational discounts are on software, up to 70 percent of retail, Romero said. Microsoft Office 98 will sell at the bookstore for $199.95, which is about half the price at many computer-supply stores.

The movie buff may appreciate Cinemania 97, priced at $32.95, while webmasters may want FrontPage 1.0 for the Mac at $52.95 or FrontPage 98 at $69.95 for PC users.

For the graphics user, the new Adobe Photoshop 5.0 will be sold at $279 after it arrives in early June, Romero said. In stock now is Pagemaker 6.5 at $199, Adobe Illustrator 7.0 at $149 and Adobe Painter at $240, which is cleverly packaged in a paint can.

If the graduate's existing computer keeps crashing or losing files, perhaps Symantec Norton Utilities program is needed. The Computer Store sells it for $44.95 to $59.95. Norton AntiVirus for both PC and Mac are $39.95.

Laser pointers are useful at parties or during presentations at work. The Computer Store carries a wide range from the $35 economy model to the VIP model with a timer, for $77.

Romero said CSULB-logo watches are also a popular graduation gift. The watches range in price at the Computer Store from $22.50 for the economy model to $233 for a Seiko brand with a expansion band.