Spring Break
EDITORIAL: Chum's deserves more money
Keep hangout afloat
Editorial | 10/7/08
Posted online at 5:41 AM EST on 10/7/08
Much to the chagrin of club leaders campuswide, the Student Union has chosen no longer to pay the $50 fee for holding Cholmondeley's coffeehouses. Last semester, the Union paid the fee as part of its Free Admission Policy, which required clubs to admit students to events and performances free of charge. However, the rollover money that the Union drew from to pay the fee has been earmarked for the new weight room project, thus leaving clubs to pay the fee on their own.
This new financial strain on clubs may seem to be the result of the Union's desire to get rid of the considerable rollover surplus, but before we point any fingers, we should take a look at the bigger picture. Clubs may feel burdened by having to pay a fee simply for permission to use Chum's space, but what some may not realize is that the $50 booking fee is virtually the venue's only source of income.
Chum's receives no funding for groceries and other supplies, only payroll money to fund their workers' paychecks. They have to buy all their groceries with the money they make selling tea, ice cream, hot chocolate and other snacks. According to Chum's manager Nirja Parekh '09, they do make a fair amount during popular coffeehouses and concerts, but some students don't realize that Chum's, as an entity separate from Aramark and the University, lives and breathes by the money and WhoCash students surrender for a late-night grilled PB&J.
Perhaps one of the reasons Chum's has trouble pawning off cookies and muffins has to do with the quality of the food. "I feel like the basis of a 'great' coffeeshop is really good coffee and pastries, and because of budgetary concerns we could only buy in bulk at BJ's," said Molly Jane Rosen '08, former Chum's manager. With a larger budget, "Heck, we could have bought organically [or] local."
And let's not forget what an important resource Chum's is for us students. Booking a performance or party at Chum's is an easy student-to-student transaction. Chum's is an unfussy, open venue for a variety of types of events. Few other spaces are as easy to claim as Chum's.
This new financial strain on clubs may seem to be the result of the Union's desire to get rid of the considerable rollover surplus, but before we point any fingers, we should take a look at the bigger picture. Clubs may feel burdened by having to pay a fee simply for permission to use Chum's space, but what some may not realize is that the $50 booking fee is virtually the venue's only source of income.
Chum's receives no funding for groceries and other supplies, only payroll money to fund their workers' paychecks. They have to buy all their groceries with the money they make selling tea, ice cream, hot chocolate and other snacks. According to Chum's manager Nirja Parekh '09, they do make a fair amount during popular coffeehouses and concerts, but some students don't realize that Chum's, as an entity separate from Aramark and the University, lives and breathes by the money and WhoCash students surrender for a late-night grilled PB&J.
Perhaps one of the reasons Chum's has trouble pawning off cookies and muffins has to do with the quality of the food. "I feel like the basis of a 'great' coffeeshop is really good coffee and pastries, and because of budgetary concerns we could only buy in bulk at BJ's," said Molly Jane Rosen '08, former Chum's manager. With a larger budget, "Heck, we could have bought organically [or] local."
And let's not forget what an important resource Chum's is for us students. Booking a performance or party at Chum's is an easy student-to-student transaction. Chum's is an unfussy, open venue for a variety of types of events. Few other spaces are as easy to claim as Chum's.
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Chums Supporter
posted 10/20/08 @ 2:14 PM EST
Yeah!! This article is right on. When I was a student at Brandeis, Chums was by far the best location on campus for hanging out and having events. I have many a fond memory of nights crowded in for concerts and coffeehouses at Chums. (Continued…)
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