Frankly, my commentary was not intended to marginalize or provide “justification” for whatever short-comings the UT Co-op may have in meeting President Battle’s original endeavor to emulate some ivy-league schools’ student-run bookstores he was familiar with. I applaud his vision & the subsequent benefits the original co-op of his brought to the University.
Regarding your suggestion that I should “look into the the history of the Co-op and you’ll see how far it has strayed…”, I simply find that idea to be entirely humorous! Why? Irony, my good man; and your inane arrogance – which blinds you from realizing just how uneducated YOU truly are of the history of the Co-op. THINK (please) before you act/speak. You shame & embarrass UT to incredible heights when you demonstrate such feeble intellectual skills as you’ve shown here.
History? Perhaps you should look into Co-op history yourself, albeit with greater discernment. Doing so may enlighten your perspective on this matter.
Then, your err in logic & deductive reasoning regarding Co-op history should be clearly visible to you.
The Co-op moved off campus from Old Main in the c.1920’s. Why move? If Pres. Battle honest mission was as concrete & defined, he would’ve resisted relocating & expanding; yet, he did not. Why? Half a century association w/ UT provided him a clear view of the Co-op’s drift away from his “original mission” without any objection. Why not? Heck, if he’s ok w/ it so am I & so should you.
Perhaps you’re unaware the UT Co-op is, in fact, not a co-op at all, nor has it been since the 1970’s. Again: Why?

As a Longhorn & amongst the Enlightened few, I’m sure you already know ‘why’, but were just brandishing that stubborn & hard-nosed “Texas Fight” attitude ingrained in all we of the Orangeblood. A bit of advice if I may: Longhorn attacking Longhorn is well, distasteful to say the least. ‘Horns are never embarrassed by fellow ‘Horns. Intellect breeds intellect & lead to constructive debate vs. destructive arguments. As Alumni/Students of UT we hold ourselves to a higher standard.
Hook’em.

look into the history of the Co-op and you’ll see how far it has strayed from Battle’s original mission.

really? that’s your justification?

you’re an embarrassment to UT.

So bitter! Hmm, fail out of UT as an underclassman, perhaps? Hey man, don’t blame the school – or Texans, or big business for your dejected attitude here.
The insane amount of ‘bankin’ the Co-op sees is simply a result of millions of diehard Orangebloods neurotically obsessed in purchasing all things Longhorn. The books & the buy-back hell? Well, sorry: that simply occurs at every school & every bookstore on every campus around the country; been that way for ages. My father even commented on “how things hadn’t changed much” in that regard.
Students keeping receipts for their end of year rebate? Yep, you’re right: not gonna happen…for the majority. But THOSE WHO ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KEEP THEM FOR THEIR REBATE are also too many to count. It’s NOT a gimme-service they are providing back to students. One needs to employ a little self responsibility for that benefit. Shame on you if you failed to uphold that responsibility to yourself.
I’m willing to bet that you were blissfully unaware that the University of Texas Co-op provides its student employees with great pay & a host of benefits so completely comprehensive (including 5 days paid vacation/yr) that it shames practically ALL benefits packages of most companies from small privately-held firms to the largest Fortune 500 firms that we graduates find ourselves hired on with after graduation (when forced to leave our Heaven on Earth ATX). Not even top graduates of McCombs can look forward to benefits packages of the likes that our vaunted University Co-op selflessly provides.
Hook’em. Texas Fight!
(PS: Ditch the sour & pissed off outlook, man. You tend to come off as one of those pitiful intellectually-impaired “special-ed” students known commonly as Aggies & Sooners.