The University of Massachusetts has an unappreciated resource at its fingertips. Student businesses provide numerous services to those living and/or working across campus. Such organizations also provide a learning community for its members by giving undergraduate students the opportunity to achieve a co-curricular education in the cooperative management of a small business.
Though each one runs independently, all student businesses on campus are structured in a similar manner, organized into committees that include hiring, training, handbook, bookkeeping, payroll, cash-out, purchasing, advertising and inventory that each regulate a particular aspect of the trade. A core group steers the organization's direction, keeping them on track, and is composed of one coordinator from each of the committees.
The businesses keep in close contact with one another through the Board of Student Businesses (BOB). Two representatives from each business attend weekly BOB meetings in order to strengthen the link between the individual retail groups, the Center for Student Businesses and the rest of the University community. BOB members deal with current issues concerning businesses in relation to the University and the Student Government Association. One recent notable accomplishment through BOB, for example, was obtaining UCard machines for student businesses on campus.
Lying behind their official structures and general mission statements, though, an often unexplored, bustling world of commerce and comradeship exists within these organizations. Unexplored, that is, until now...
Campus Design and Copy (CD&C) is located on the second floor of the Student Union. To get there, one must pass a row of bright yellow lockers and a colorful bulletin board that proclaims their name. The atmosphere of CD&C is fast-paced. All the employees are busy photocopying, on the computer or in the back chatting with each other. They're a friendly group who are willing to re-copy anything that does not come out perfect the first time, even if it's just a dark little smudge on the corner of a page.
Courtney Miller, who's worked at CD&C for a year, said the organization has "one of the most diverse crews and clientele" of all the businesses on campus because of their central location and that "everyone needs to make copies."
Everyone in the group currently working at CD&C is a good friend to each other, often hanging out outside of work, Miller explained. Since they're understaffed, the work is a bit tense now as they try to hire new workers. Also she said the employees "never get into disputes" due to their amity with one another.
Sylvan Snack Bar is located in the basement of the Machmer building in the Sylvan residential area and at first may prove somewhat difficult to find. First one must sign in at the desk, and then head straight, take a right, go down a flight of stairs, pass the game room and follow the sounds and smells of a snack bar.
Once there one will find a room of delectable treats, with a diverse menu with simple subs, bagels, quesadillas and deserts all under $5.50. As Tony Kim, a senior who has worked at the snack bar for seven semesters, describes it, "it's a great place to come down between studying."
The snack bar is designed to look like a pizzeria with booths and a checkered floor. He said that the co-managers are a "pretty tight group" who hang out together frequently. According to Kim, the only disputes the group has occur due to typical work stress and are quickly and easily resolved.
The biggest obstacle the group has had to overcome so far, Kim continued, is the high turnover rate of the staff at the end of each semester. The group has to rehire about half its staff at the beginning of each semester. (For reference, six new students were hired this semester alone.)
Peoples Market is located in the Student Union directly to the right after you walk in off the Hippie Bench (the steps to the left of the Union). Everyone recognizes the tree logo that represents the Market. It's on T-shirts and coffee cups littering the campus. The Market provides students with a variety of vegetarian food, but specialize in bagels and coffee. According to Devon Danchise-Curtis, a junior who has worked at the Market for a year, "The Market won't sell anything that causes suffering." This includes anything on the Boycott List, a list of companies that have unethical business practices.
Danchise-Curtis the people that work at the Market are "straight up cool kids" who she describes as "friendly, upbeat and nice." According to her the group is pretty close. Of the clientele she said, "The clientele are mostly 'mippies' (or hippies of the millennium) TA's, and Professors." The biggest obstacle the group has faced so far has been starting up the store with a really low staff. Danchise Curtis said, "Starting up the store when I was the only person on extensions (who provide catering services) was hard because I did an entire catering job by myself." The goods at the Market are cheaper than Bread and Circus, even though they sell a lot of the same products.
Tix Unlimited is located in the Student Union across from the Five Colleges Union. The office is small and intimate, but just the right size for their small staff of seven. To buy tickets a student must peer through a wooden window and deal with one of the pleasant managers inside. Tix provides students with access to concerts and events on and off campus. In the past Tix has sold tickets to a variety of musical performances including Dar Williams, Sugar Ray, Wu-Tang, Moby, and O.A.R.
Kara Nostrand, a senior who has worked at Tix for five semesters, said that the location of the business makes Tix a high-energy place to work. The co-managers are "really tight" because it is such a small group. Of the small staff Kara said, "We try to challenge each other." Tix is the only student run business that is budgeted through the Student Government Association. Kara said that the biggest problem the business has faced recently is trying to get a decent budget from the SGA, who have cut their funding due to campus-wide budget cuts. Tix is the only student-run business that is funded by the SGA.
Earthfoods Café is also located in the Student Union. A bulletin board just outside the door alerts a hungry student what's on the menu for the day. The first thing a hungry customer will notice is the appetizing smell of freshly cooked food paired with the cha-ching of the register. The interior of Earthfoods is designed like a cafeteria with food on a buffet-like display and plenty of seating. The café at noon on a weekday is full of activity with workers serving food, or in the kitchen preparing for the next day, or at the register ringing people in. They keep in constant communication through a simple walky-talky system. Long after finishing their dishes, the clientele hang out in the café to talk, play chess and study.
The mission of the café is to provide the UMass community with ovo-lacto vegetarian and vegan food at an inexpensive price. The café generally serves 1-2 entrees, salad, soup, and dessert. The food is wheeled in from the kitchen and set up daily. Recently the co-managers have succeeded in getting all biodegradable dishes and utensils. The co-operative is constantly striving to be more conscious about the environment.
Karen Tassinari, a junior who has worked at the café for three semesters, said that the co-managers are close and hang out together. She described the clientele as "happy, hungry, socially conscious people." The biggest obstacle for her in working at such a demanding job is to balance school and work and not get overwhelmed by the responsibility. She also said that one problem the café has had to face in the past is to "find dedicated people to work and also to not let those dedicated people burn out."
The Bike Co-op is a fun place to stop in even if it's just to meet the chatty, entertaining workers. The Co-op is located in the Student Union across from the Five Colleges Credit Union - a prime location for bikers who might be passing through the union or stopping in at one of the other student run businesses. The shop is easy to find, if you can't hear the music from the hallway or smell the rubber of the wheels, just look for bike parts on the door that clearly spell out "Co-op".
According to Justin, who's worked at the Co-op for a year, the shop's major purpose is "To fix bikes and make money." He continued, "We aren't your traditional change your world co-op. We're just all about bikes." The shop offers several in stock bike parts and accessories and can order anything (aside from whole bikes) your cycle may need. Dave, another co-manager who's been at the shop for three semesters, said that, "Not enough people know we're a full service bike shop." Another obstacle he claimed the shop has dealt with was, "not being able to put a jump in the Cape Cod Lounge." The co-managers present all agreed that this would bring in many customers.
Services advertised on the website include a tune-up for $25, a flat tire change for $8, and adjustments starting at $5. Just watch out if you do drop in - as I was leaving they commented on my cheaply made shoulder bag and tried to sell me a custom-made Timbuk bag, even whipping out a booklet complete with fabrics to convince me. I didn't buy it this time, but when my bag breaks I know where to go.
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