By Megha Lakha
For so many years, students were used to walking into the old campus store location and being greeted by the scent of candles and warm lighting. You could almost convince yourself you were at the mall.
For the first few weeks of this year, if you were looking for a new sweatshirt or pencil, you were greeted with the smell of sweat, fluorescent lighting, and the sounds of students’ shoes squeaking below.
The temporary campus store has been stationed on the Glover Gym indoor track and in the community center, but the assistant manager of the campus store, Ms. Dinkel, told me they’re “planning to move to the more permanent location this Thursday.”
The long-term location for the next few years (before the campus store makes its final move to the new and improved community center) will be the female athletic coach’s office.
“They’ve been painting it and making a few repairs before we get settled in,” Ms. Dinkel said.
With a new location comes change. “Students, parents, faculty come to the community center for textbooks and track for uniforms and other apparel, but it’s been an adjustment since some people aren’t exactly sure where to go,” Ms. Dinkel said. Where to go is CC406, where we were sitting for this interview.
When it comes to sales, the campus store staff has been “so busy that [they] haven’t even had time to notice any new patterns.”
But there certainly have been adjustments. ”Well, I think with the cafe and the campus store, students would come and shop, hang out, and gather, but that’s all been changed,” Ms. Dinkel said. However, she is hopeful for “the long run since once the new building is completed and the new spaces are here, the atmosphere will be even better.”
While the campus store is going to be settled in their athletic office location for a good while, the permanent location will be in the new community center “on the main floor on the corner and all windows will be around giving it a welcoming feel,” Ms. Dinkel told me.
Going forward, the campus store staff is ready to adapt to the new changes and excited for the new and final location that is yet to come.
So for now, if you forget your chapel uniform or need a book for English class, be sure to head to the athletic offices by Wallace. And if you miss the sound of squeaky shoes while you shop, you can always head over to the Glover.
