By Liz Ratto

Coming to a student center near you: new DVD film rentals.

In response to students’ requests for a way to rent cheap movies on campus, the Student Services Committee will bring a DVD rental kiosk to the Curry Student Center (CSC) by the end of the month.

During last spring’s Campus Invasion, the Student Government Association (SGA) surveyed students about what amenities they would like to see added to campus.

“We think that bringing [DVD rentals] to campus will provide another service that students really want,” said Senator Ryan Fox, who managed the project.

The Quick Flicks DVD rental kiosk will be installed next to the ATMs and vending machines on the lower floor of the CSC. DVDs will be available for $1.99 per day, with lost DVDs costing a maximum of $25.

To rent a movie, students must swipe their credit cards and make a selection. There is a 10-minute grace period to examine the box and plot summary of a movie before the card is charged. If students change their minds they can return the DVD to the kiosk and can make another selection.

Tamara Maniscalco, owner and president of Quick Flicks DVDs, the company furnishing the kiosk, said renting is less expensive than going to rental stores like Blockbuster, which charges $4.50 for two days.

The machine hold up to 110 DVDs, and while most of the films will be new releases, Maniscalco said students can request other titles through the website, Quickflicksdvds.com. Fox said new releases will be available in the kiosk the same day they are available at Blockbuster or online services like Netflix.

Fox said he hopes to integrate the Husky card system into the machines within a week or two after installation to give students another way to pay. Ten percent of the revenue from the kiosk will go back into the CSC budget, he said.

The current contract with Quick Flicks DVDs is for one year, and after that, if it is successful, Fox is looking to install kiosks in three residence halls to provide 24-hour access to movies.

Fox and Maniscalco said they are optimistic students will take advantage of the kiosk and make it a worthwhile addition to the services offered in the CSC.

“It has been our experience in placing these kiosks that they do really well at universities because everyone likes to watch movies and students don’t necessarily want to leave campus to get one,” Maniscalco said.