U of M Freshman Student Government Association Senate is looking to pass two bills in its last meeting of the semester.
The first bill is to install a Redbox-like kiosk in the University Center. The Senate hopes to bring the kiosk to the university to increase the traffic flow into the UC and generate new revenue for the university.
Kevayann Rawls, who wrote the bill, refused to answer questions about it.
“The bill will be presented tomorrow at the Senate meeting at 7:30 p.m. If you have any questions, there will be an opportunity for them to be asked during the meeting,” she said in an email.
Even though the industry has been in decline, Redbox is still a very viable business with a strong brand.
The company has vending machines at 33,000 locations in the United States.
Still, demand for Redbox has fallen off recently. Its popularity peaked in 2013, with 772.9 million rentals, and fell in 2014, with 717.1 million, Variety reported.
The kiosk would cost the university roughly $25,000 and a monthly maintenance fee of $450 to $800.
“I think it would be cool for the people who live on campus, and it would be useful,” Michaela Miller, 20, U of M junior, said. “As long as they stay up to date with the movies they are supposed to have, and they put it in a convenient area, I would like it, but I think it is kind of pointless,”
Monique Boyce, a 21-yearold junior, said. “I think it can become a distraction, and there is a Redbox at every Walgreens.”
The second bill hopes to improve lighting on campus as well as improve lighting efficiency by 81 percent. The passing of the bill will not cost SGA any money and will pay for itself in 1.5 years in energy saving, according to Ashley Courtney, who wrote the bill
