Kiosks shift campus dining landscape

BY HAYDEN SADLER

Dining spots across campus have adopted order kiosks as a replacement to traditional, in-person ordering methods. In past semesters, students would stand in line and speak to workers at locations such as Tim Hortons, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Kent Cafe, in order to place an order. Now, these levels of interaction between customers and workers are gone.

The campus dining scene has seen a great number of changes in the past year. Last fall, Cardinal Points reported on Chartwells’ adoption of Boost Mobile as a new method to order food across campus, allowing students to order food while away from dining locations. While Boost offered convenience for students, it also worried students that workers couldn’t fulfill orders as promptly as they had done before the adoption of the app.

One year later, Boost has become less noticeable in the wake of campus’ introduction of kiosks. Kiosks allow students the convenience of browsing the entire menu when placing an order, and they allow more workers to approach incoming orders. However, they also present an opportunity for technical errors as well as other problems which could slow down the queue. In some locations, students report on lengthy wait times for food orders.

Jonathan Sheedy is a fifth-year student finish- ing his education program. Like many students, he often chooses to get food on campus as opposed to eating in. At Kent Cafe, Sheedy has noticed longer wait times compared to the past.

“I wasted a meal swipe,” Sheedy said.

He had waited nearly an hour for a sandwich at the Kent Cafe. Before long, he found the time he had spent waiting had also brought him to the time of his work shift, for which he had to leave without his sandwich. Quang Nguyen is friends with Sheedy, and is a senior studying computer science.

Sept. 27

University Police filed a report of coercion in the third degree, which is defined as compelling a person to participate in an action they have a legal right to decline, or preventing them from acting in a way they have the right to. No details are available as investigation is still ongoing.

Sept. 29

UP received a report of public urination in front of Mason Hall.

Big week for parties

UP filed two reports of weed possession, in Macomb Hall and Mason Hall, Sept. 28 and Oct. 2 respectively.

UP also filed two open container reports, both in Parking Lot 16, across from the Angell College Center, Sept. 29 and Oct. 1.

An underage student was caught in possession of alcohol in Wilson Hall Sept. 30.