Vol. XXXVI, No. 3
Sweet
Nothings
Candy, food gone
from the bookstore
By BRIDGET MUNDY
Lion's Eye staff writer
BDM185@psu.edu
Next time you stop by the campus bookstore to
grab a drink or a bag of chips you may be in for a
big surprise. The store, as of a few weeks ago, is no
longer permitted to sell food products.
According to Renee Lutz, manager of the Penn
State Bookstore at Delaware County, the decision
to eliminate snack food from the bookstore was
made by “campus officials.”
“As a result of a student survey completed last
year, students overwhelmingly responded that
they wanted a new food service that would provide
the quality, cleanliness, hours of operation, in a
cost-effective manner," said Lisa R. Yerges, direc-
tor of Business Services.
"To meet that need we had to re-bid the con-
tract and ensure this vendor's success [and] given
our size, the bookstore cannot be a food-service
provider," Yerges explained.
This new food provider is "Java Joe" Betzala of
the Lion's Pit. Betzala appears confident that stu-
dents will not be discouraged with the loss of food
in the bookstore. He is also convinced that stu-
dents will make the trip up to the newly renovat-
ed cafeteria.
"What's the saying in the movie ‘Field of
Dreams? 'If you build it, they will come...' and be
very satisfied," he said.
Some students on campus
are not as comfortable
i with the idea of no
munchies in the book-
Penn State University, Delaware County
Photo by Jennifer Rufo
The candy and snacks currently on the shelves in the campus bookstore is all that will be available.
store.
"T don't like it at all. The bookstore is great for
a snack in between classes, especially for evening
students," said Ryan Meade, a senior business
major.
"I don't really eat at the cafeteria and I usual-
ly buy snacks from the bookstore before class
because it's quick and easy. It's inconvenient to go
all the way up to the Commons Building and it's
also a lot cheaper at the bookstore," said Sarah
Cross, a junior English major.
Senior urban education major, Hisham Rahmi
believes that the selling of food in the bookstore is
not crucial in his daily activities.
"T haven't gone (to the bookstore) that much to
get snacks...I'm always in the cafeteria because I
play basketball and then I go over to eat."
Rahmi believes in the new cafeteria and "Java
Joe." He said, "the food is OK for now, but if they
add what people have suggested and the construc-
tion is soon completed it will be better."
In addition to what he offers in the cafeteria
(salads, sandwiches, homemade soups and chili,
pizza, breakfast foods, muffins, fresh fruit salad,
vegetarian items, coffee, teas, self-serve cappucci-
no, espresso, Tropicana juices, Snapple teas, Pepsi
products, Red Bull Energy Drink, Starbucks
Frappachino drinks, Frito Lay snacks, candies,
chocolate bars and Nestle ice cream treats),
Betzala said, "all four campus buildings are
equipped with new vending machines, which are
cleaned, serviced, and restocked every day."
"The cafeteria will stay open till 6:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday and as late as 5 p.m.
on Fridays offering the same service and food
selection...for our night-time students,” said the
enthusiastic vendor.
According to Betzala, the newly restructured
cafeteria will be opening the third or fourth week
of October. He wants to make this a good experi-
ence for faculty and staff.
"Please note that I am also open to suggestions
and will, within reason, try to meet the needs of
all the students. We're only going to get better as
time moves on."
And about the barren bookstore?
"Surprisingly, I haven't received any com-
plaints," said Yerges.
"It was a campus leadership decision. We had
to weigh what was more important: a quality food
service or snacks in the bookstore."
Time will tell how this will affect the campus.
Students should take advantage of the provi-
sions in the bookstore while they can because,
according to Lutz, “the food will be gone as soon as
it sells out.”
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