Students who are angry about rising textbook prices can voice their frustrations to student lobbyists today in part of a national collaboration to campaign against overpriced books.

The Arizona Students' Association will be on the UA Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in an effort to inform students about textbook prices and to increase visibility of the campaign, said Andrew Record, ASA director and chair of ASA's special events committee.

"We want to inform students about the topic while giving them a place to get riled up about textbook prices," said Record, who hopes to have 200 students come to the booth.

The event is coordinated with Make Textbooks Affordable, a coalition of student public interest research groups and student associations in 14 states that are taking action to ameliorate the burden of textbook costs for students, according to the coalition's Web site.

ASA will have a table with information to educate students about what they can do to get involved, and students can give feedback about their experiences with buying textbooks, Record said.

Madison John, a classics sophomore, said she spent almost $400 on textbooks this semester, and she is concerned with why there aren't more used books available and why students are paid so little for selling them back.

"I'm really dissatisfied with the bookstore because they don't seem to have any used textbooks," John said. "One time I sold a book back for 25 cents because I didn't want to see the book anymore."

Brian Bowers, a chemistry sophomore, said textbook prices don't concern him much because he gets financial support from his family, but without that support he wouldn't be able to afford textbooks.

Neighboring schools Arizona Sate University and Northern Arizona University, which have representatives on ASA, are also participating and will hold similar events on their campuses later this month, Record said.

Experts available to provide help with asthma

People who suffer from asthma will have an opportunity to learn about the illness and treatment options tomorrow at the "Living with Asthma Night" presented by the American Lung Association of Arizona in Tucson.

The event will feature a panel of experts, including the association's Lung Health Programs director and members of the University Medical Center's respiratory department, who will answer questions from the public, according to the press release.

Danielle Zaleski, executive director of the association in Tucson, said she is encouraging people to attend the event because the public needs to be educated about how serious asthma is.

"People are still dying every day from it," Zaleski said.

The event will take place in Room 408-410 in the Meinel Optical Sciences building, 1630 E. University Blvd., from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Although the event is free and open to the public, reservations are required because dinner will be provided. Interested students or family members are encouraged to RSVP today in order to guarantee a seat.