A student government campaign kicked off the textbook-buying season before classes even started while another is set to occur during the first full week of classes.

Bobby Mills, a junior in political science, led the initial part of the textbook campaign on Harris Field Tuesday afternoon.

Mills, executive secretary to the student body president, grilled hot dogs while student government members and friends handed out fliers.

Mills said he had originally intended for the event to provide an opportunity for students to sell and buy books online to one another as opposed to going through on-campus bookstores.

“Instead of paying a shipping charge, they can come here and exchange,” Mills said.

However, most students only stopped by the campaign table for hot dogs and fliers, which provided key facts and layouts of an action plan Student Government hopes to enact concerning textbook deadlines.

Mills compared the opening textbook exchange to studying. He said the first time you read something you’ll probably make a C on it. However, if you read it again, your grade will steadily improve.

“This time we’re just trying to inform people about what we’re trying to do,” Mills said.

According to Kristen Jeffers, a junior in communication and director of the publicity commission, the goal of the textbook exchange was to build more momentum for an additional exchange at the end of the semester.

Mills said he hopes the program increases awareness about professors’ textbook order deadlines and laws in other states requiring professors to submit textbook orders on time.

Mills said he estimated the event attracted about 100 people overall.

“Groups of 10 and 20 have stopped by,” he said.

Students standing in long lines and between crowded book stacks in the NCSU Bookstores said they are always surprised by the cost of textbooks.

Sarah Bauer-Nilsen, a sophomore in psychology, said she paid more than $450 for her books. She mentioned her confusion and annoyance over the fact her history class requires four different books.

“I don’t see the point. They just want me to spend my money,” Bauer-Nilsen said. “My mom is going to be so pissed.”

David Mobley, a freshman in mechanical engineering, said he would rather purchase a “messed-up” used textbook than pay full price for a new one.

“[The prices are] ridiculous with a capital R,” Mobley said.

Katie Trozzo, a freshman in environmental sciences, said despite the expensive books, she doesn’t mind shopping at the University bookstore because she had been told that some of the money goes to scholarships.

“I’ve [also] heard it’s a good deal compared to other universities,” Trozzo said.

Zac Thompson, a freshman in First Year College, said students can sometimes regain portions of the money spent on textbooks by waiting until the beginning of the academic year to resell them.

“You have to hold out for a while,” Thompson said. “Ask around. I sold two of my books back for $50 to a friend of a friend.”

The second half of the Student Government textbook campaign is scheduled to begin next Tuesday in the Brickyard.

Adam Compton, a junior in construction engineering and management and student body treasurer, created this portion of the textbook campaign.

According to Compton, Student Government members plan to ask individual students how much they paid for their spring semester textbooks. They will then take pictures of students holding signs with the cost of their textbooks written on them. He said Student Government will forward a compilation of photographs to the administration at the end of the campaign.

Compton said he decided to schedule the event during the first full week of classes because most students will probably have purchased all of their textbooks.

“We figure we can hit the most people that way,” Compton said.