By UR standards, Hutchison and Hylan halls are surely a trek – and for most science majors, more than one walk out there per day is something that must be avoided. In order to accommodate the students who, day after day, spend hours in these buildings, Dining Services instituted a pilot program to bring more food options to the area.
The program was intended to run a dining meal program in Hutchison. Last year, many ARAMARK foods typically found on campus at the Pit became available in vending machines.
Designed to be more than a typical snack of chips or pretzels, items such as sandwiches were placed in cold vending machines and could be purchased with declining balance. These were the first vending machines to accept anything but Flex.
The vending machines found in Wilson Commons, the tunnels, academic buildings and the residence halls have always solely accepted Flex and cash. The only machines from which beverages and snacks can be purchased by cash only are located in the Goergen Athletic Center.
According to Manager of Vending Services Ross McIntyre, the pilot program in Hutchison did not work out very well. Vending services is in the process of converting the machines back to accepting only Flex and cash. When this is completed, there will be no vending machines on campus that accept declining balance.