The Saint Mary's C-Store moved locations within the College's Student Center over fall break — a change that was met with mixed reviews from students upon their return to campus this week.
The C-Store is now located in the space that was formerly occupied by the Cyber Café. It still serves the College community as a convenience store, offering food, medicine and personal care products.
"I don't like the fact that they took away the tables," Saint Mary's junior Sarah Korbonits said about the new location. "It was a nice place to meet and eat with friends. However, it looks like it has potential to add a greater variety of food."
Junior Aileen Hurd agreed.
"It looked a little cramped, but it seemed to be pretty good," she said.
Follett Higher Education Group, which now manages the Shaheen Bookstore, is using the space previously occupied by the C-Store for bookstore expansions. According to a Saint Mary's press release issued earlier this semester, this renovation will occur during Christmas break.
"Follett is proud to have Saint Mary's College as our newest partner," Follett president Tom Christopher said in the press release. "Together, we can make the Shaheen Bookstore the chief resource to students and the entire Saint Mary's community."
Sodexo is managing the C-Store — which was previously managed by the College — at its new location, according to the press release.
"The new convenience store seems to offer the same items as the old convenience store, minus the movies for rent and balloons," sophomore Cassie Fill said. "The new setup will take awhile to get used to."
According to the press release, the tables and chairs previously located in the Cyber Café will be dispersed throughout the Student Center atrium and lounge.
Additionally, the C-Store will now remain open until midnight.
Karen Johnson, vice president of Student Affairs, said she believes students will appreciate the changes made to the C-Store and bookstore, according to the press release.
"I think students will be happy with many of the upcoming changes to the Student Center, which include expanding the hours of the Café and convenience store to midnight," she said. "The Student Center is their space, and we want them to feel at home in it."
Some students, however, remain unimpressed with the changes.
"Disappointing," junior Kate Simon said about the new store. "They didn't have Arizona Tea."
Fill was also disappointed with the change.
"My friends and I always enjoyed renting more recent movies from the C-Store last year," she said. "But I'm interested to see how the new convenience store in the Cyber Café competes with the old one."
