The Usdan game room underwent major renovations to electrical wiring and appliances this summer. Furniture and entertainment products were also ordered and will be installed in the facility, renamed "The Nest," sometime early this semester, according to project manager and Union Secretary Danny Silverman '05.Silverman said he listened to suggestions and also conducted a survey with over 700 student responses to prioritize the needs of The Nest.

"Everything in [The Nest] was requested by students both through the survey, in focus groups, via e-mail, or through the game room committee," Silverman said.

Silverman was appointed Student Project Manager by last year's Union president Josh Brandfon '05 and has since coordinated construction with Project Manager for the Office of Capital Projects John Cummings.

According to the recent game room report provided by Silverman via his Nest information mailing list, 12 new power outlets were installed in the area. Lights were also cleaned and rewired, and 10 speakers were installed throughout the ceiling for improved sound.

The report further states that new carpeting was installed and the walls repainted. Some work also went toward redirecting water leaks, but Silverman said much of it is hard to control. Broken windows were also replaced and all of them cleaned.

Silverman said he is working toward securing more funding for a television projector system and a Dance Dance Revolution machine.

Silverman expects two 8-foot air hockey tables, two professional table tennis tables, four full-size pool tables, two foosball tables and a dart board to arrive next week. While he said he is looking into the best arcade games to buy, "Mrs. Pac Man," pinball and golf have all ready been ordered. New furniture should also arrive in October - tables, chairs, bar stools and couches.

"My goal was for people seeing the space for the first time to have no idea that The Nest used to be a bookstore," Silverman said.

According to Silverman, charges for game use will be set by the game room Advisory Committee, when Union President Mark Schlangel appoints new members this fall. Silverman said he hopes to minimize charges while bringing in enough revenue to repair or replace equipment.

"I'd expect pool will probably start at $2 per hour of play, and arcade games will be 25 to 50 cents per play," Silverman said.

Silverman also said that pool tables will be rented hourly or half-hourly and people will be asked to limit their play when there is a waiting list.

Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett, who has also helped Silverman with The Nest, organized some students two years ago to help create the game room and replace an outdated "Corner Pocket" in the basement of Usdan.

Bennett said the empty space in the old bookstore was "an absolute waste." She said she wanted to create a fun environment for students.

"The idea was that Brandeis students are known for how hard they work, but they should also be known for how much fun they have to," Bennett said. "We spent probably six months talking about what we would going to do."

According to Bennett, she ran into problems when there was no funding. She said even after the Union allocated funds for the game room, Capital Projects projected more money would be needed and suggested planning be delayed.

But she said Vice President of Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy offered her support toward creating The Nest.

"Jean Eddy has been very supportive and encouraging," Bennett said. "It's been her support and encouragement that's enabled us to go through with this, along with with Danny's support and the senate allocating us the money."

Bennett praised Silverman's role in creating The Nest, saying he worked dozens of hours with contractors and painters. She also said he has done an "extraordinary" job using all available resources and obtaining student input.

"I want Jean and Danny to know how much we appreciate their efforts," Bennett said.

After a Union audit in 2001, $122,000 was found in a rollover account containing unspent funds from several previous years. Following a lengthy process of deciding how to spend the money, the administration narrowed nine student proposals to two.

Proposals such as creating a Union Endowment and buying BEMCo an ambulance were rejected. Following a student referendum on whether to build a game room or an indoor climbing wall in Gosman, the fund was allocated toward The Nest.