By Adam Hartmann

Arizona Daily Wildcat

The state of the Union is one of disarray Ñ the UA Student Union, that is, according to a task force report released recently and some employees of the building.

The task force, comprising faculty and staff from around the University of Arizona, found that the building is in need of refurbishing and repair despite the fact that the Union spent $1 million last year on maintenance.

ÒWhen compared with commercial ventures of a similar type, Union facilities appear outdated, unattractive and in some cases, poorly maintained,Ó the report states.

Bob Ernstein, former Union director, announced his resignation last Monday, the same day the report was released. He said he was planning to resign anyway, and the report hastened his decision.

ÒMy opinion is to tear the building down and start all over again,Ó said Joyce Laughman, a cashier at U-Mart, in the basement of the Union.

The report states that the Union lacks fire walls and adequate sprinkler and ventilation systems. But the report also notes that the Union is not in violation of prevailing fire codes because it was built prior to the installment of those codes.

The Union also is one of only two of its kind among Pacific-10 Conference schools that pays more to the school than it receives in state funds. The Union gets 3 percent of its revenue from the university, while paying 5 percent of its revenue back in an administrative service charge.

The report also criticizes the UnionÕs ÒpatchworkÓ approach to solving problems, noting that the Òuse of buckets to collect dripping water, mismatched tiles on the floor (and) new wallboard hiding structural damage simply forestalls an investment that must be made.Ó

Task force recommendations include possibly adding private businesses, which one task force member said is unnecessary.

ÒIt was assumed that the reason our market was declining was because students are going off campus,Ó said Frank Farias, director of the ASUA Bookstore. ÒWeÕre basically saying we canÕt compete with them, (but) I think we can do

Some students agreed that privatization is unnecessary.

Ò(Privatization) would probably disturb the already comfortable atmosphere,Ó said Alex Miller, a media arts

Other students said they wanted to see the Union offer better food.

Farias said the Union needs to serve students better if it wants to survive.

ÒThere are opportunities in the Union that have not yet been realized,Ó he said. Read Next Article