Patched-up Union needs update to '71 renovation

Assistant Director of Student Unions Joe Sottosanti recently took the Arizona Daily Wildcat staff on a tour of the Student Union, pointing out some of the oldest and most run down areas.

Exposed pipes and asbestos insulation were among the worst signs of deterioration, although Sottosanti was quick to point out that neither was a fire code violation.

"He (the fire marshal) wouldn't find a thing wrong unless the exit light went out," Sottosanti said.

In one area, plastic sheets was used to keep old pipes and ceiling leaks from dripping onto food storage.

Sottosanti pointed to a light switch outside a door that operates a light inside the room.

"It's not a code violation, but it's just ridiculous," he said.

The Student Union was last renovated in 1971 and little has changed since then, said Herb Wagner, assistant director of risk management and safety.

Wagner, who attended UA in the late '70s, said the Student Union definitely needs an upgrade.

"It has hardly changed since I went there in '78," he said.