University of South Carolina Libraries
^outn Uaroliniana Library Horseshoo Russell House closed on weekends By Chris Handal Budget cuts and renovations have forced the closing of Russell House on weekends during the summer, according to Dennis Pruitt, Russell House University Union director. "This (closing) is a real sad situation," Pruitt said. During the summer Russell House is open from 7 a m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 5:30 D.m. Fridav. Events scheduled before officials made the decision to close RHUU will still occur, with limited building access being available. The majority of RHUU employees are work-study students, he said. In work-study, the federal government pays 80 percent of the student's salary, and the university pays the other 20 percent. THIS SUMMER RHUU received no work-study money to pay students. Rather than absorb the additional expense, Pruitt said the union had to curtail service. "We've had to cut back on our labor costs. We now have three students on the payroll. If we opened on the weekends, wp'H havp tn hirp mnrp cfnHpnk " Pruitt cuiH Russeil House is also closed on weekends because several businesses in the building are closed. The RHUU cafeteria is being renovated, and Union Station and the Golden Spur are closed. The Spur is closed because its manager quit and the position will not be filled until August. Also, the Spur does not make enough money during the summer to support itself, according toPruitt. DON MILES, University Bookstore director, said Union Station is closed because it doesn't make enough money to support itself during the summer, and it's going to be remodeled. The magazines usually sold at Union Station are available at the bookstore. Pruitt said RHUU wouldn't have been closed if the cafeteria, the Spur and Union Station had remained open. "Closing runs counter to the purpose of a union. The philosophy is that students should have a home-away-fromhome where they can come to watch TV, study or meet a friend in the Spur. "It's (Russell House) a neat place to have these kinds of inninnnnniiifn'- ^ ^^^7- C~ j WStSiSP * wffiit'' "v<af%iiiif^^ Js? / i ) 3" r 7 ' lr_.._.4, &gfc ' ' ? ; ..^gSggp'ir 1 Photo by f jpen Mimmond Pat Sweatmen, an ARA employee for the past 18 years, began working for SAGA Food Services Inc. this week. Most ARA employees were retained by SAGA. things. By closing you sacrifice your phi. >phy as to why you exist. But with the food service closed, tnis is the most efficient way to save money," Pruitt said. He said some students complained the first weekend the RHUU was closed. "The complaints were all basically about the mail and the fact that no signs were posted about the closing." PRUITT CALLED the absence of signs an "operational oversight." During fall and spring semesters mail is delivered to the RHUU Post Office. This summer, mail arriving on the weekend is held at Booker T. Washington Post Office, according to Joe Lawrence, University Station postmaster. Denying students access to their mail on weekends is not a violation of the law, said Layton H. Stirrat, public information assistant at the United States Post Office in Columbia. "People are just going to have to look forward to mail on Mondays," Pruitt said. Lawrence said about 100 letters come in on the weekend. Someone expecting mail may call the Booker T. Washington Post Office Friday and ask them to look for the letter Saturdav. he said. The student must then 00 to thp nnst offirp before 11 a.m. Saturday to learn whether the letter arrived. STUDENTS HAVE mixed reactions about the closing. "What are you going to do for entertainment if you have no weekend movie? If you are a student from out-of-town without a lot of money, you can't afford to go out and spend $30. If you're going out to get drunk, you're going to spend almost that much," said Ken Mahaffey, a junior in business administration. "I was looking to see what would be the Friday night :?L. ? :? i : ?i inuvic, 3diu lFUHH lcidllit'U, ct JUIUUX 111 UUbllltJSS au* ministration,"and there was only a Thursday night movie. It used to be a nice inexpensive form of entertainment, and $1 compared to the $4 or $4.50 of a regular matinee is no cost at all. "It seems like at least they'd leave the P.O. boxes open and See "Russell House," page three SAGA food ser begins operatio By Forrest Brown , . . . . .. _ brought in for th SAGA Food Services Inc., the Chandler said S recipient of the five-year USC food employees from o contract, began operations Sunday, the new employe* June 20. the company and ARA Services ended more than 30 derstand SAGA's r years of service to the university Ed Smith, a SA Saturday, June 19. the University of Carl Chandler, director of dining member of the o] services, said the transition between "The transition his company and ARA was smooth smoothly. Mr. despite the small amount of time director of dining SAGA had to prepare for the job. good." ''It's been wild," Chandler said. On Sunday, S "The first day was a little rough, but I general public at am happy with the way things have the Top of Caroli gone so far. We spent about four hours SAGA was very in meetings last night (Sunday) to see large Father's Da; how we could improve from our first- SAGA also had day operations." banquets its first Chandler said the brief period eluding one for a gi SAGA management had to familiarize another for abc themselves with USC dining facilities counselors asseml posed some difficulties. Carolina. "We did not know where all the To make the on equipment was located," Chandler smooth as posssi said. "We also didn't have the time to ARA's food in train our people with some of the new valuable time SAC methods of SAGA. We will also need operations. time to develop an understanding of Although Chandl our employees and find out their to use the dining se capabilities." Hall, Capstone < Twenty management people were House Snack Bar y BUILDING HOURS! ? l FALL . SPRING SEMESTERS P II ??IUIS. f a.m. -l2Midriigh? I Frl- 7 a.m. -1:30 a.m. i 1 Sat. 8 a.m. 1:30 a.m. EL I Sun. 9 a.m. 12 Midnight p| SUMMER I i I Mon. Fit 7 a.m. -11 p.m. J Sat. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. p| | Sun. 9a.m 11 p.m. | Semester Breaks IP I I tr~*. * m. - 5:00 P .ro. I Won. -!-!!. f Sat - Sun. Closed f.i I I | Closed during all University ti I f.l . Pholo by Capers Hammond Not a sign of the times Despite the sign's information, summer hours for Russell House have changed. The building closes earlier oh I. .J l _ -i wBHKtiays ana is ciosea on weexenas. vice corporation ns at Carolina ; iransiuon period. uaie ai me Humanities Otiice IAGA brought in Building, the majority of SAGA's ther areas to ease summer work will be in catering is' concerns about special luncheons and preparing for to help them un- such special programs as freshman ecipe file. orientation, now in progress. GA manager from SAGA has been promoting itself to the South and a new students and their parents by f>ening team, said, distributing pamphlets during has run very orientation. tiaraee uormer we warn 10 snow to the parents services) was very what kind of company SAGA is, and what it can offer to their children. We AG A served the want to make a good impression," Patterson Hall and Chandler said. ma. Chandler said Chandler expects a work force of busy serving the around 200 people when SAGA begins y crowd. J itc 4 /I A I. II to prepare several occ artUrti pageinree. day on the job, in- ?~ roup of bankers and I >ut 100 guidance t)led at the Top of Biology professor Dr. Wade T. Batson retires after 30 years of e-day transition as teaching at USC. Paga two. ble, SAGA bought The cast of "Cheaper by the iventory, saving Dozen" returns in Workshop }A needed to begin Theatre's "Belles on Their Toes." Pag* JM. er expects students Two Carolina athletic officials irvices at Patterson resign their positions to take jobs at Cafeteria, Russell the University of Colorado. P?g* seven. and the Sidewalk ? A