Students looking for a Snickers or a Kit-Kat at the C-Store in Smith Union may now have to look a little harder.
A recent decision to move candy from a prominent display in the store to under a counter?where it is shelved in relative obscurity?is part of an ongoing effort to encourage healthier eating, according to Director of Dining & Bookstore Services Mary Lou Kennedy.
Kennedy said that the goal is not to eliminate candy or other junk food from the C-store, but rather to avoid making the traditional, less healthy snacks the focal point.
"We don't want candy to be the impulse buy," she said of the decision to move the candy display.
The move coincides with a general trend towards healthier options in the store; the C-Store has recently increased its stock of organic, fair-trade and natural food products. It has also downsized its soda refrigerator, opting instead to stock more vitamin and bottled waters, juices and smoothies. Additionally, the store now carries a greater variety of fresh fruit, including kiwis and grapefruit.
Kennedy added that The Dining Service is working with area vendors to carry more local products. She pointed out that sushi, now sold in the store, is made by a local woman.
Tricia Gipson, manager of cash operations & student employment, said that while the focus of the store will still be on "grab-and-go, snack and convenience foods," the store is now meeting requests for options healthier than junk food.
Kennedy and Gipson acknowledge that healthy food items, especially organic or fair-trade, are often more expensive than traditional snack foods. However, Gipson said that she has not received any complaints about the price, and that students generally expect to pay a premium for specialty foods.
"People spend money if it's what they want," Kennedy added.
Students have generally been receptive of the decision to move the candy and introduce healthier foods.
"Students use the C-Store a lot. If they have healthy options, they will buy them," said Anna Bender '08.
Ale D¡az '10 said she noticed the change in the C-Store because she seeks out healthy snack food. D¡az said she thought switching to healthier snacks was a good idea, though she questioned whether moving the candy in the store will have the intended affect.
"The C-Store is a very small space. If [the candy] is still here, you will find it," she said.
Sam Read '09 also supported the decision, provided that the C-Store retains some of its normal snack foods.
"A mix is great, as long as they hold onto some of the traditional snack items," he said.