Thursday, 5/29/97 Brewin’ off campus Students look to retail
sites in Westwood as an alternative to studying at UCLA
libraries
By Matt Grace Daily Bruin Contributor After a day imprisoned on
campus, many students escape UCLA in search of a good cup of
coffee, a place to study and an opportunity to work on that much
deprived social life. However, at times this freedom can conflict
with the retail side of Westwood. Other than Kerckhoff Coffeehouse
and scattered spots in the Ackerman Student Union, the UCLA campus
offers very few places to study other than the libraries. Many
students prefer going to local Westwood spots rather than having to
wrestle with the on-campus parking situation and the monotonous
solitude of the libraries. "I enjoy the people watching," mused
David Hart, a fourth-year theater student, on his motivation for
avoiding campus to study. "A flirtatious exchange is possible
here," he said, scanning the Coffee Bean in Westwood.
Unfortunately, one cherished spot off-campus has been threatened as
of late. Borders Books in Westwood has recently introduced a "no
backpack policy," much to the chagrin of the regulars who frequent
the store. Customers must now check in their backpack before
entering the store. "The main thing about the bag policy is that
people were stealing," explained Shavaun Morrissey, a bookseller at
Borders. "The bag policy had to do with other customers, not just
students." Some still see this as a bureaucratic attempt to
eliminate lingering students. They feel Borders no longer cares for
their most loyal customers. "It’s too much, it’s really annoying,"
argued Lissette Lopez, a fourth-year physiological science student.
"It’s a college town, it’s not that we come in here and don’t buy
anything." Hart, who likes to buy his coffee at the Coffee Bean in
Westwood, and then study at Borders, feels that because the store
"cannot tell the socioeconomic status of every student that walks
in, they cannot tell the potential sale." He believes they tend to
think of students as a nuisance and act quickly to usher them out.
"Here I feel like I am being watched constantly," said Lopez,
passing an annoyed glance around the store. Even though she
regularly makes purchases at the coffee shop, she still receives
unwelcome stares from the employees. Lisa Cheley, a fourth-year
psychobiology student, also has reasons to feel unwanted. "Every
time I have gone they have kicked me out," Cheley said. On more
than one occasion Cheley and her friend Noelle Miller have been
forced to leave by the manager. Despite making several purchases at
the coffee bar, Cheley and Miller said that they were told that
"real" customers had priority. The manager went on to say that
students contribute nothing to the net income of Borders and are
not welcome. Consequently, Miller and Cheley have decided to
boycott Borders. They encouraged their family and friends to do the
same. "I will never bring my business here again," Miller
concluded. Those at Borders offer an opposing view. "Most college
students don’t buy things," Morrissey claimed. "If people need a
table, students need to move." However, store manager Nicole Pinsky
claims that the store thrives on students who wish to hang out
there. "I hope I am not alienating any long-term customers," Pinsky
responded. "We got to try to find the thing that pleasures the most
people; the last thing we want to be is retail pigs." Pinsky feels
that there is a problem with an overall lack of quality study space
for students at UCLA. Consequently students accumulate at
alternative spots, like book stores and coffee shops. On Martin
Luther King Jr. Day this year, when many UCLA services were
unavailable to students, Pinsky recalled that over 400 students
were scattered throughout the store. After discussing the situation
with ASUCLA, she thought the problem would be resolved. However,
Pinsky was left to fend for herself. "They let me down," Pinsky
said with disgust. In response to Pinsky’s addressing the study
space problem, ASUCLA Executive Director Patricia Eastman denied
that one even existed. "We felt we should not get involved in how
(Borders) take(s) care of business," Eastman said. She did,
however, mention an ongoing study concerning UCLA’s current use of
space. "Right now we are doing a major study of all of our space,"
Eastman added. "The hope is to make more student space." So for
those currently frustrated with the present situation, ASUCLA says
change is on the way. The direction of this change remains to be
seen. AARON TOUT Alejandra Descals, a UCLA extension student
specializing in hotel management, studies at Captgo on Broxton
Avenue.