Wednesday, January 8, 1997
STUDENT LIFE:
Long lines draw complaints but remain unavoidableBy Frances
Lee
Daily Bruin Contributor
Standing in lines that snaked through the A-level of Ackerman
Union and ended up outside, students gamely waited to purchase
textbooks, resigning themselves to the thrice-yearly routine.
The newly expanded and renovated textbook store offers more room
to shop as opposed to the Plaza Building, but servicing a campus of
30,000 students still presents problems.
The lines fluctuated throughout the day, increasing after
classes were out. Many students turned away at the sight of the
line, which, at one point, wrapped around the A-level and went down
the stairs leading outside, then back upstairs to the A-level.
Those who braved the wait did so reluctantly.
"I waited 40 minutes to get in and another 20 minutes to pay for
the books," said Rebecca Hopkins, a third-year communication
studies student. "It wasn’t organized. Last quarter (at the Plaza
Building) was better."
As the afternoon wore on, the line grew longer, disappointing
those who had hoped to come back later in the day to avoid the
crowds. Those inside the store were forced to wait to pay for their
books as well, despite the increased number of cash registers.
Reviews of the new textbook store were mixed, ranging from those
who thought there should have been maps to guide them throughout
the maze, to students who liked the expansion.
Complaints were rampant about the long wait, but store officials
said that the lines were all but avoidable. According to Doug
Bowman, the textbook manager for the store, even if students did
not wait in entrance lines, they would be forced to wait in longer
lines at the register.
"It’s extremely hard to gauge (how it compares to the lines last
quarter) because we’re inside," Bowman said, adding that generally
the best time to shop is between 6 and 7 p.m.
"It’s moving," was all Leslie Magalong, a fourth-year
physiological science student, could say.
Students passed the time reading, talking with friends or simply
waiting for their turn to enter the store. Many simply fumed.
"It’s ridiculous. It’s a waste of time," said Alfred Hsiang, a
fourth-year biochemical student. "This is the worst it’s ever been
in (my) four years."
JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin
Students wait in a long, twisting line, which often stretched
outdoors, to purchase textbooks on Monday in the newly opened
student bookstore in Ackerman Union. Bruins offered mixed reviews
on the upgrade.