By Aaron Evans
Columnist
Those in charge of the HICCUP Café, which is located in Asbury’s student center, decided at the beginning of the school year to close on Saturdays, leaving students to fill their caffeine cravings elsewhere.
HICCUP, along with the rest of the student center, plays a critical role in the community at Asbury, providing a space for students to study, get coffee or simply talk with their friends. If this is true, why have the hours suddenly changed? Senior Madeline Sites, who has worked at HICCUP for three years, shed some light on the subject.
“We didn’t make enough money on Saturdays last year,” said Sites. “We were paying more for the workers to work than we would make in drink sales. We were losing money.”
Despite the effect that HICCUP’s change in hours could have on the student center and the overall community, Sites doesn’t seem to worry.
“[HICCUP] used to be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but those were weird hours,” said Sites. “Plus, there’s not that many Saturday morning people [on campus], and on the weekends there’s not as many people around because a lot of students go home.”
But where does this leave the remaining students on campus who need their caffeine fix?
Again, Sites doesn’t see an issue.
“We haven’t had [HICCUP] open on a Saturday yet this year,” she said. “So I don’t think people would have thought about it as much, especially with as many freshmen we have this year.”
“I wish that it was open on Saturdays, though,” Sites added. “I would definitely get my coffee here in the morning.”
Despite the lack of attention HICCUP has gotten on Saturdays, some students still find this an inconvenience. Sophomore Isaiah Turner spoke out about HICCUP’s new hours.
“I used to get drinks at HICCUP all the time on Saturdays,” said Turner. “I could get drinks that I couldn’t make in the dorm, like milkshakes and lattes, and I could use the coffee shop credits on my meal plan instead of paying out of pocket. But now if I want coffee, I have to pay for it somewhere else off campus.”
Turner isn’t the only one who feels this way. Sophomore Meghan Martin also commented on the subject.
“I understand if HICCUP has to make budget cuts, but now that it’s closed on Saturdays, people want it open,” said Martin. “They don’t have to be open the whole day on Saturday; they could just be open in the evening, since people sleep in.”
Martin also proposed a solution to HICCUP’s lack of Saturday business.
“Maybe if they did special offers or discounts, like what they did with getting a discount on a rainy day last year,” said Martin. “I know a lot of people went for those deals, and I know that more people would go if they had more deals.”
While some students, like Turner and Martin, may find themselves wandering off campus and paying out of pocket for coffee, Sites says that it is one inconvenience Asbury students will have to get used to.
“With as little people that came in on Saturdays, we just couldn’t afford to stay open,” said Sites. “I wish we could, but until we are sure that a lot of people will come in on Saturdays, I doubt the student center will keep it open.”
