Crisis fails to deter student spending

Author: Adam Schaffer

Students' spending on campus has proved resilient in the face of the College's financial woes and the national economic recession. However, overall changes in the spending habits of the College community have forced the managers of the Grille and Juice Bar to alter hours and menu options to cut costs and increase profits.

According to General Manager of General Dining Operations Steven Reigle, the Grille and Juice Bar have been holding strong, but are beginning to show some decreases in revenue. Reigle credits the recent decreases in revenue not to an upswing in the student body's frugality, but in the changing spending habits of the adult members of the College community.

"Sales to students have continued to be strong while sales to faculty and staff have shown more variability," he wrote in an e-mail.

Despite this, Reigle said that the Grille and Juice Bar have seen an increase in overall sales but a 6.6 percent decrease in overall revenues compared to last year's Winter Term.

Alex Lin-Moore '12 says that the economy has not altered his spending at the Grille and Juice Bar.

"I would say that my behavior hasn't changed, but it was always really conservative so I didn't have to change it," Lin-Moore said. However, had he not been conscious of his spending to start with, he explained, he most likely would have been forced to reduce it.

Ticket sales to on-campus arts events have remained surprisingly high, according to Liza Lloyd Sacheli, marketing manager for the Kevin P. Mahaney Center '84 for the Arts.

"Student tickets are actually up - but we think that may have to do with the popularity of several arts events this fall, rather than economic factors," she wrote in an e-mail. Sacheli added that most audiences have included more students, faculty and staff rather than people unaffiliated with the College, Sacheli explained.

The Box Office claims that it has no plans to increase student ticket prices.

"Regardless of what changes may come, we are committed to keeping arts events as accessible as possible, especially to students," wrote Sacheli. "That's why we have held the line on student ticket prices at $5."

Students who seek to continue spending on campus or accrue a financial buffer in these uncertain times are looking to the Student Employment Office (SEO) and professors for a variety of employment opportunities.

According to SEO Coordinator Deanna Gilbert, 104 new student jobs have been activated since the end of fall term.

In an e-mail, Gilbert explained that a surge of students have begun seeking employment along with the beginning of the spring semester. Most students have been successful in finding jobs, either directly through SEO postings or through friends and professors.

Ginny Johnson '12 noted that while she has found work, it remains difficult to pay the soaring costs of tuition and books. Despite this, she tries to focus on her studies rather than the latest unemployment figures.

"I don't pay attention to the economy because I don't need to stress about the economy