Wednesday, February 5, 1997
ASUCLA:
Conspiracy theory notwithstanding, UCLA doesn’t seek to take
over WestwoodBy Andrew Rich
In the Monday edition of The Bruin, Westwood business owner Gary
Avrech expressed his anger and disappointment with the completion
of "the mother of on-campus shopping malls" Â Ackerman Union.
Claiming unfair business practices, Avrech claims that the new
student union is draining the life out of Westwood Village. He
claims that UCLA is engaged in a conspiracy to take over the
village in hopes of expanding the campus southward.
Avrech must have stayed up late to come with this one. First, he
claims that Ackerman is monopolizing student business by using
cheap advertising offered by The Bruin. Last time I checked anyone
can advertise in The Bruin at low prices. Avrech must have
overlooked the ads for LA Fitness and Havana Studios Cigars during
his research into the conspiracy. These ads happened to run the
same day as his article.
Secondly, what Avrech forgets to mention is the fact that UCLA
is not the only major consumer base in the Westwood area. Let’s not
forget that on the other side of Wilshire are the Saban and federal
buildings. These each employ thousands of employees. Where are
these people eating and spending their money? Is Avrech going to go
after the corner hot dog vendor, claiming he is undercutting prices
by only charging $1.10 for his dogs when in Westwood it costs $2.95
for a gourmet hot dog?
Last, his conspiracy theory seems to be a last-ditch effort to
rile the students up in support of his plea. I think he hoped UCLA
students would read his article and immediately jump on his
bandwagon. Please, we are not dumb. Westwood is dying because it
has always charged inflated prices and now it’s catching up to
them.
UCLA students would go into Westwood if merchants made it
worthwhile. But Avrech would rather look at Ackerman as the problem
instead of looking in his own backyard. It’s time to lower prices
because there is finally some competition in town. But Avrech is
right about one thing: If things don’t change, Westwood will become
a ghost town.