By Laura Acuff, Opinion Editor

In response to rumors that the Campus Center’s bowling alley will be converted into offices, bands The Rockin’ Extensions and Swing the Lead will perform a concert to promote the bowling alley at 6:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Living Room.

A petition for students to sign may be circulated at the concert, said Tim Thyne, junior finance major from Chicago and bass player for The Rockin’ Extensions. At the very least, Thyne said, an announcement at the concert would promote a day during which students would be encouraged to utilize bowling facilities to show support.

“If we don’t need [a petition], then we won’t have it, but either way we’re having a concert,” Thyne said.

Currently, rumors that the bowling alley will be converted into a non-recreational space are just that, said Joel Swedlund, manager of the Campus Center, who said he knows of no final decision on the matter.

Thyne said rumors that the bowling alley would close seem to circulate every year. This year, when the band members of The Rockin’ Extensions heard the familiar rumor was again on the move, they decided to incorporate bowling alley support into the function.

“Our passion for the bowling alley wasn’t the reason for the concert,” Thyne said. “We were going to have it anyway but we thought it would be a good idea to get a petition.”

Swedlund said he discussed bowling alley benefit possibilities with the band members upon scheduling the concert and informed them a final decision had not been made, but the band decided to proceed regardless.

“It might be premature to have that, but they said, ‘Well, we want to do it anyway because we’ve heard the rumors,'” Swedlund said. “It doesn’t matter to me what their theme is, but we’re glad they’re going to be performing down there.”

Thyne said the band hopes to determine whether a petition is actually necessary. If the band receives word that the rumors are unsubstantiated and do not require a petition, then the petition idea will be dropped.

As for reasons why the bowling alley might be altered, Swedlund said the facility has earned a profit for the last four or five years and supplies student worker jobs. Reasons for changing the facilities could not include monetary loss.

“We haven’t lost money down there,” Swedlund said. “[Changes] probably would be more from an idea of how better to use the space in the opinions of some administrators.”

Overall, while Swedlund said he appreciates the benefits of an on-campus bowling alley, he understands the obligations of administration.

“Most areas don’t provide service to 100 percent of students, but I think it has a niche that it fills so I think having a bowling alley is a good thing,” Swedlund said. “But I understand that sometimes you have to weigh all the possibilities and come to the decision that you think is best for the university as a whole.”