With plans to remodel the Cooperage in the works, the Associated
Students UCLA is making arrangements to include beer and wine
alongside other beverages currently served.
Though groups like Bruins for an On Campus Bar have been
advocating a more restaurant-style bar on campus, Bob Williams,
executive director of ASUCLA, said beer and wine services would
simply be sold at the Cooperage.
Because students have been pushing for an on-campus pub for
years, potentially having a place where people can drink, socialize
and watch UCLA athletic events, this is considered by some students
to be a positive development, with or without a physical sports
bar.
“Of course, the ideal thing would be a sports bar, but in
working with
ASUCLA we realized that the plans for the Cooperage will work
well with our goals,” said Jordan Marks, fifth-year political
science student and president of Bruins for an On Campus Bar.
Though ASUCLA has incorporated beer and wine services in its
plans for renovation, there is still a lengthy administrative and
community approval process.
One aspect of the approval process is the liquor license.
Williams said ASUCLA would prefer to obtain a liquor license
through a third-party vendor in order to sell alcohol in the
Cooperage. He said ASUCLA has been unsuccessful in obtaining a
liquor license in the past, and if a third party vendor is serving
the alcohol, ASUCLA cannot be held liable for potential
drinking-age violations, or other problems that could arise while
serving alcohol on campus.
The Westwood community must also approve the acquisition of a
liquor license, as community members may object to its
issuance.
But Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood Property
Owners Association, said community members would prefer students to
have alcohol sold on campus for safety reasons.
“Anything that happens on campus is the responsibility of
UCLA. I have no problem with things on campus, and have suggested
to students that they go to campus, rather than Westwood, for more
alcohol services,” Brown said.
The liquor license, however, is a long way off, and at this
point, ASUCLA is focusing on designing the Cooperage to best serve
UCLA students, Williams said.
ASUCLA will be visiting other UC campuses that serve alcohol
““ such as UC Berkeley and UC San Diego ““ and looking at
their facilities, Williams said.
“We hope that (the Cooperage) will be a positive example
of alcohol consumption and will provide an atmosphere where
students can gather and support UCLA sports,” Marks said.
Once the ASUCLA board of directors has approved the plans for
renovation, the university’s Joint Operations Committee needs
to approve the plans, potentially making changes, said Janina
Montero, vice chancellor of student affairs.
If the Joint Operations Committee approves the plans, the
chancellor has the opportunity to approve the renovations on behalf
of the UC Regents and allow ASUCLA to move forward with the planned
construction, Montero said.
Due to the nature of the process, the amount of time necessary
for approval of ASUCLA’s plans could vary drastically,
Montero said.
“Really, the length of the process has to do with how much
vetting ASUCLA does on the original proposal,” he said.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council has already
passed a resolution in favor of ASUCLA’s plans to serve
alcohol, and may be including a student poll on this
quarter’s election ballot to gauge student support for
alcohol on campus, said USAC President Jenny Wood.
Though the administration has not been opposed to serving beer
and wine in the Cooperage, a student poll could make a difference
in the approval process.
“It’s always good to know what students
think,” Montero said.
If the question is presented well and students are allowed to
make educated responses, a poll will carry some weight with the
administration, Montero said.