A few weeks ago a woman standing in Ackerman Union asked a Daily
Bruin reporter if he could tell her where the student union
was.
Now, UC Berkeley officials looking to improve their own student
union ranked Ackerman management practices and services one of the
best in the nation ““ but students know Ackerman leaves much
to be desired.
Ackerman directors also know the student union is not perfect
and have proposed a number of long-term projects such as improving
restaurants, opening a pub, and adding special programming.
Students and administrators who care about campus life ““
including the undergraduate student government ““Â should
support such initiatives.
Berkeley officials are right in some ways ““ Ackerman
offers a wealth of fast and convenient services for students. ATMs,
hair cuts, arcade games, books, food, clothing and even travel
agents are all available under one roof. A naked, starving,
friendless student could potentially enter Ackerman and emerge
equipped and ready to travel to the farthest reaches of the earth
as long as he or she had a wad of cash.
But frankly, that same naked, starving, friendless student would
have very little reason to linger in the uninviting corridors of
Ackerman longer than he or she had to. As soon as that student was
clothed in UCLA gear and full of fast food, he or she would be
off.
That gets to the root of the Ackerman’s problems. It is
less of a gathering place and more of a mini-mall. Students come to
Ackerman more because they need something than because they enjoy
being there. Like that poor student, Ackerman needs a makeover.
On a random Sunday afternoon, Kerckhoff Coffeehouse is full of
students sitting alone or in small groups, talking, studying or
just having a cup of coffee. At the exact same time, the enormous
Ackerman level 1 cafeteria is comparatively empty.
There is no need for that gap to exist. With a few touch-ups,
Ackerman could be the educational and social center of UCLA. Here
are a few suggestions:
“¢bull; Open a restaurant or pub that serves alcohol ““
let’s face it, many college students drink. An on-campus bar
would be very popular, and at least as safe as any bar students
could find elsewhere in Los Angeles.
“¢bull; Have more programming for students ““ $2 movies are
fun diversions, but they are not enough. Ackerman’s many
meetings rooms and facilities should be put to greater use by
ASUCLA officials, student government and student groups.
“¢bull; Change the atmosphere ““ the wide-open, clean look
of Ackerman probably looks good to occasional visitors, but it
makes it seem more like a cafeteria or a food court, not a cool
college hangout. There should be more lounge spaces where students
don’t feel like they have to buy food to have a right to sit
and study.
“¢bull; Ditch the constantly blaring televisions.
Before Berkeley uses Ackerman as a model for their own
improvement projects, ASUCLA should make a few improvements here at
UCLA. With the ongoing gentrification of Westwood, Ackerman has the
potential to be central to student life. But it should be a place
students go because they want to be there, not because it’s
the only game in town.