The Break, the campus pool hall, is not turning a profit, sources on the EMU’s Board of Directors said, and the pool hall and the ASUO are working to find ways to plug its budget gap.
Located on the ground floor of the EMU between the computer lab and the Buzz Coffeehouse, the Break houses table tennis and locker rentals in addition to billiards, and it hosts campus events and billiards classes offered by the University.
But the revenue from those sources has fallen below sustainable levels this year, leaving a budget shortfall of about $3,280, and the ASUO is not expecting profits any time soon.
“We don’t foresee that they are going to be breaking even with their budget, which is one of the major goals they have,” said EMU Board member Tyler Griffin. “We assume that it’s just to do with the economy and students not having the spare money to just throw down on a pool table.”
In the short term, Griffin said, the likeliest answer to the budget problems will be to postpone maintenance on the Break’s pool tables. The EMU has traditionally replaced the tables’ felt surfaces every two years, and they are scheduled to be resurfaced this year at a cost of $3,500. However, the ASUO may simply use the money to fill the Break’s deficit.
University instructor Bryson LeBlanc, who teaches five of the University’s six billiards classes, said he would accept that.
“I would say you want to try to keep your equipment in as high condition as possible,” he said. “But if it came down to re-felting the tables or cutting the class, I would say don’t re-felt the tables.”
Another option is to use part of a $6,000 account the EMU keeps to plug budget gaps. Griffin said, however, that either option would be a short-term solution. Nevertheless, if the Break continues to operate without a profit, the EMU is considering proposals to put the space to different use. Among the possibilities: a bowling alley, more space for computers and temporarily relocating office space to the EMU when it renovates.
He said the EMU is trying to avoid closing the pool hall.
“We came to a conclusion that we didn’t want to limit student services,” Griffin said. “We didn’t want to take away the service that the Break gives students.”
Break employee Maggie Dieringer said many of the services the Break offers to students are not widely known. Only two or three groups per term reserve the Break for events, while only six of its 88 lockers, which cost $4 per term, are currently rented out.
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