The Associated Students of UCLA Board of Directors discussed the
status of Cooperage’s upcoming Jamba Juice and Healthy Foods
bar and addressed plans for upcoming events as well as elected a
new board chair during its monthly meeting Friday.
The board’s plan to implement a Jamba Juice lounge,
proposed in late July, is pending at the moment, as Jamba Juice may
be unable to finance a project of such a great size. To alleviate
the situation, the smoothie company suggested significantly
downsizing the space planned for the lounge.
“The Board of Directors definitely wants a Jamba Juice
lounge, so at this point we told Jamba Juice that we would see what
the cost ramifications are before abandoning the project,”
said Bob Williams, executive director for ASUCLA.
The board’s plan to replace Tropix, the smoothie vendor
which is currently situated on the first floor of Ackerman Union,
with a Healthy Foods bar is well underway.
During a meeting to discuss the progress of the project last
November, the design team and the board agreed on the construction
drawings. Williams predicted that the bar would be completed by May
1.
The board also unanimously approved the election of Hoi Ning
Ngai, a graduate representative and former vice-chair of the board,
as the new chair for January through May.
Ngai replaces Tina Park, an undergraduate representative who
served as the chair during the August to December period. ASUCLA
always replaces a graduate student with an undergraduate student,
or vice-versa, as the board chair for the second half of the
year.
On the whole, ASUCLA has been doing quite well from a financial
standpoint, providing enough funding to complete projects started
months ago within a visible timeframe, as well as create new
events, Williams said.
“You can do a lot of things when you’re financially
strong, a lot of good things” said Rich Delia, chief
financial officer of ASUCLA.
In the upcoming months, there will be several new promotions and
events put on by ASUCLA in Ackerman Union and Kerckhoff Hall,
Williams said.
Plans are being finalized for the celebration of Kerckhoff
Hall’s 75th anniversary on Jan. 20. Currently, the program
will consist of a timeline event, featuring a history of
ASUCLA’s involvement in Kerckhoff Hall, from Jan. 17 to Jan.
27 in the art gallery, and a reception featuring the unveiling of a
portrait of Louise Kerckhoff on January 20 in the Kerckhoff Grand
Salon.
Former basketball coach John Wooden will be meeting with the
students and providing signatures on Jan. 16. The board anticipates
long lines, as the turnout for this event in the past has been
enormous.
“Eventually, we’ll have to shut (the event) off,
because (Wooden) won’t stop unless we close it,”
Williams said.
The board also said that ASUCLA has been selected to cater the
UCLA Football Award Banquet Jan. 15.
“This is a big honor, as the banquet is usually held at a
hotel,” Williams said.
This year the event will take place on campus in Ackerman Grand
Ballroom.