The Stack has been popular with students since its opening, but the library cafe is causing some changes to a five-year Cullom-Davis Library tradition.
Midnight Munchies, a program throughout the final exam period offering food at midnight to library attendees, will continue this semester.
However, Sharon Obery, head of the Midnight Munchies committee and employee in the Library Director’s Office, said free coffee, tea, hot cocoa and Rockstar Energy Drink will no longer be available to students.
“Now that we have the cafe, we won’t be allowed to serve drinks,” she said. “We have volunteers willing to work and money to spend, but the cafe has to pay its employees. I think [the students] are going to be disappointed.”
However, Obery said she did negotiate to get students a 50 percent discount at The Stack during finals, though whether or not that discount would apply to all items or just a few drinks is unconfirmed. The cafe will also be open 24/7 during finals.
Some students are already voicing their displeasure with the cancellation of free beverages during final exams. Junior accounting major Jenna Smith said she usually takes advantage of the free items and thinks they should remain available.
“Not everyone can afford to buy Starbucks coffee when a small is almost $2,” she said.
Smith added she doesn’t think the cafe likely wouldn’t lose much money anyway.
“People start studying for finals before the free drinks begin to be offered anyway,” she said. “There will always be people who will choose Starbucks coffee over free coffee because they have QuickCash or they’re on meal plan, but for those of us who don’t have these plans anymore, it would be great to have free drinks.”
Kathy Lesny, student member on the Midnight Munchies Committee, said the loss of free drinks may dissuade students from studying in the library.
“We’re all poor college kids, so we all love the free drinks, especially the Rockstars we hand out at night,” she said. “We’re a little worried … we don’t know how well its going to be received. We don’t know if students will still be interested.”
Obery said the committee usually spends about $1,800 each semester on the program to purchase food, beverages and supplies, but this year that cost will likely be considerably less.
“We’d go through cases of coffee, tea and hot cocoa,” she said. “Maybe we can offer better food now.”
The library will have more food, offering small snacks like cookies in the afternoon.
Midnight Munchies began in 2005 as a way of attracting more students to the library and supporting those that use the facility to study during finals, when the library is open 24 hours a day.
“We’d see students sleeping at their tables,” Obery said.
The committee, made up of students and library faculty, receives financial donations to purchase supplies from the Friends of the Library, the Bradley Parents Council, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and others. The committee has received food donations from Great Harvest Bread Company, Panera Bread Company and Waugh Foods through the years.
Volunteers from Bradley Fellows help oversee each nightly food distribution at midnight throughout the week.