Senate approves gift to students

Student Senate voted to give the gift of grub to students this holiday season by approving new vending machines in Murphy Library. It started when several students approached Student Association President Derek Kockler earlier this semester. After consulting with Anita Evans, Director of the Library, Kockler opted to present a resolution to the Student Senate. Late night library tenants can celebrate the new snacks and beverages, which will include typical vending machine fare like candy, pretzels, and Pepsi products. In an effort to save library equipment, though, the new vending machines will not dispense typically messy food like greasy chips. The Senate passed the resolution handily, but not before lengthy debate. Foremost among concerns was the effect the new machines would have on the business of Murphy's Mug. In a letter to Kockler, Evans commented that as an upstart business, Murphy's Mug is still not breaking even, despite ever-increasing business. She added that "vending machines could suppress sales, although I would suspect that they would not have a large impact." Evans also mentioned that the library received no requests specifically for vending machines, but that many students did criticize Murphy's Mug's hours via its electronic suggestion box. "I talked to several people about vending machines in the library, and they were all against it," commented Senator Rourke Decker. Ultimately, though, it came down to the needs of students. "If a vending machine puts Murphy's Mug out of business, then that's sad," commented Senator Nick Cerwin. "Maybe a little competition will be good, but it's just a vending machine." "It 's not our job to discuss what's better for Murphy's Mug, it's to decide what' s better for students," added Senator Josh Van Winkle. Kockler added that Murphy's Mug may still consider extending its hours to better cater to students' needs. It will still be up to the library staff whether students will be allowed to eat their machine-vended goodies in the library. The vending machines should be installed by the start of the spring semester. Costing the students nothing, the vending machines could actually make the University money over time: truly a gift that keeps on giving.

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