On Jan. 11, students received an email introducing Jayme Aimalefoa as the new Director of Dining Services and announcing that there would be various changes to dining across campus. The changes mentioned included new food and beverage options; however, details about these changes were vague. The BeeHive Café has seen a few changes since then–primarily the removal of shelves for various snacks, along with changes in food availability. Previously, Chick-fil-A and Papa John's pizza were available on alternating days throughout the week. Chick-fil-A has remained available, with the new schedule of availability being on Mondays and Wednesdays only.
An additional change to the BeeHive was announced in the same email. In an email from Dr. Tammi Jackson, Vice President for Business and Finance, she shared, “Meredith has partnered with Capitol Coffee as our new snack and beverage vendor. Over the next semester, Capitol Coffee will seek the input from our campus to introduce new beverages and snack offerings in the machines.” These machines are now accepting CamCards as a method of payment.
Many students have shared similar feelings of confusion about the changes in the BeeHive. Elaina Irving, ‘26, would like to see more transparency. “I don’t like how many things have been moved or removed and we weren’t given any notice about it let alone an explanation,” they said. Kira Bullock, ‘26, believes the BeeHive should invest in more variety, saying, “There should be more than just Chick-fil-A sandwiches and nuggets; also maybe bring some other restaurant foods.” This opinion was shared by Alyssa Evans, ‘26, who also mentioned the prices of items sold in the BeeHive. She believes that items should be less expensive, or that first year students should be given more dining dollars in the meal plans included in room and board costs.
Dr. Jackson discussed the removal of shelves in the BeeHive, saying, “When Ms. Aimalefoa was able to come in and assess the best use of the space, she was able to have some shelves and stands removed for a better flow and spacing in the BeeHive.” When it comes to adding new food and drink options, Dr. Jackson stated that “Ms. Aimalefoa is always interested in hearing the opinions of the students on food and beverage offerings. Once she's had more time on campus and learned the patterns of the BeeHive, we'll be able to evaluate new food and beverage options”.
By Liese Devine, Contributing Writer