The Lounge on ground floor of the Mary Josita Residence Hall got a makeover. There now is a Mary Jo Marketplace installed, where students can buy fresh food, snacks and beverages with flex money from their student account.
After about a month of closing Mary Jo Lounge, the Lounge finally reopened on Wednesday, February 21st, with a completely changed look. The first noticable difference are the repainted walls and of course the new Marketplace. Now covered in the traditional Clarke colors blue and yellow, the Lounge is bathed in the morning sunlight and invites students to take a look at its new design.
There were several changes made, the former workspace with 4 computers was removed. One computer and printer remain as IT found out that all the computers were barely used and if so mostly for printing. They are now placed on the other side of the room, while the workspace now contains the new marketplace.
Operated by "avenueC", the new marketplace has almost everything a student could wish for. From snacks like chips, candy, granola bars and more, to drinks like ice tea, soda or energy drinks, as well as sandwiches and more.
The company will provide fresh supplies every other day and guaranties a safe purchase through checking on the marketplace periodically. Safety will also be provided by a camera, that was installed in the Lounge, facing the grocery display.
The marketplace will be open 24 hours a day, giving students a chance for food any time of day, reducing the food insecurity for students. This was one of the main concerns in a survey conducted last semester, which showed that students on campus partly fear food insecurity and the unavailability of food, especially for on-campus students on weekends.
All supplies can be bought with flex-money on student-IDs, while also with normal credit cards. Cash will not be an option for paying the groceries.
Most inventory was modernized, giving students the option to still have social gatherings or get work done on the remaining computer.
Benjamin Reiser