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The Rice Thresher
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by Matt Cuddihy Thresher staff
A cash machine was installed in the convenience store Tuesday and went into operation yesterday. The new ATM, like the one inside Fondren Library, is run by Chase Manhattan Bank because the bank has an exclusive contract with Rice, Student Center Director Boyd Beckwith said. The ATM is free to those with Chase accounts and will charge others a $1.50 fee per transaction. Beckwith said he's wanted an ATM in the Student Center since he became its director two years ago. He said with Sammy's, Willy's Pub, the Coffeehouse, the convenience store and the Campus Store, there is ample opportunity to spend money in the building. And, he said, since the Campus Store is the only place in the center that accepts credit cards, many people will find the ATM useful. Beckwith also said many visitors and alumni were often dismayed that there was no ATM to be found in the Student Center. "They'd just assume the Student Center has an ATM," Beckwith said. "They'd ask me, 'Where is it?'" Beckwith said Chase was initially hesitant about adding a second ATM to campus. Chase had previously considered moving the machine from Fondren to the Student Center, but student opinion was divided about the move. This year Chase finally agreed to a second machine. "They saw how much activity the Student Center gets," Beckwith said. Students seemed generally pleased about the added cash machine. "It's much more convenient than the Fondren ATM," Baker College senior Marisa Bono said. "This is where I spend money, so it's nice having the machine here." Others said they still saw a need for the Fondren machine. "Well, I don't know if it's more convenient," Hanszen College senior Ellen Wan said. "Fondren's a closer walk to my college, but at the same time on the weekends you can come here. I think it'll help because this is the central social place." Several years ago there was an ATM in the Student Center, but it was not owned by any bank, because all users paid a small fee to withdraw money. The Student Center removed it when it failed to offset the cost of operations.
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