By Debra Marisa Greene
Daily Bruin Contributor
The Associated Students of UCLA may bring a CD store and an
online gaming center to Ackerman Union if the Finance Committee
approves the lease proposal today.
If the proposal, which has already been approved by the Services
Committee, passes, it will then go to the ASUCLA Board of Directors
for final approval next Friday.
Under the proposal, CD Depot, a new and used CD and DVD store,
will occupy the area of the game room where three pool tables
currently exist. It would also place Super Net, an online gaming
center, in the area of the Cooperage TV room.
If it passes, the space previously occupied by Moby Disc, a new
and used CD store which suddenly closed in February, will remain
vacant.
An approved proposal can give ASUCLA $94,000 a year whereas Moby
Disc gave about $78,000 a year, said Richard Delia, financial
director for ASUCLA.
“So this plan is much better,” he said.
The Services Committee approved allowing the area Moby Disc
occupied vacant on the stipulation that it is used for student
functions.
Moby Disc stopped paying its monthly rent of about $6,500 in
January. If the entire plan is completed by fall quarter, as
scheduled, ASUCLA will be losing about $52,000.
“Our other leases have a cost of living increase which
will offset some of this,” Delia said. “But, it’s
going to cost us.”
“It’s called the cost of doing business,” he
added.
Jerry Mann, director of student union and student support
services, said students still want a CD store, even though Moby
Disc left, citing a survey conducted two years ago which listed a
music or CD store as one of the top five services students would
like, Mann said.
Despite the popularity of downloading music for free among
college students, Mann said he is confident that a CD store is
still something that students want.
“There are a number of people that want to buy it the old
fashioned way and may feel guilty about stealing music
online,” he said.
Although Moby Disc went out of business, Delia said he thinks
bringing in CD Depot will be a more successful venture.
In addition, Mann said online gaming through Super Net, will be
more exciting and popular than home video games.
The student union had an online gaming center, he continued,
which closed about a year ago because the owner of the operation
wanted to expand and get larger.
“It generated a lot of traffic from on and off
campus,” Mann added.
Mann said the area occupied by Moby Disc may be used as a lounge
with pool tables or as a graduation material distribution
center.
“It would create more of a social atmosphere,” he
added.
He said leaving it vacant would permit flexibility in the use of
that space.
If approved, everything is expected to be ready by fall quarter,
Delia said.