November
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ,
      1996
     
     
      Jo
      You
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ave
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Change
      for
      A
      Twoonie?
     
     
      machines
      and
      force
      Coca-cola
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      campus
      vending
     
     
      machines
      are.
      a
      vital
      snack
     
     
      source
      for
      many
      students
      at
     
     
      UPEI.
      However,
      complaints
     
     
      have
      been
      heard
      across
     
     
      campus
      from
      students
      who
      are
     
     
      unsatisfied
      with
      the
      vending
     
     
      services.
     
    

    
     
      This
      year,
      the
      contract
     
     
      for
      vending
      services
      is
      held
      by
     
     
      Western
      Vending.
      Western
      is
     
     
      responsible
      for
      maintaining
      the
     
     
      coffee,
      candy,
      and
      change
     
     
      machines
      across
      campus.
      The
     
     
      pop
      machines
      are
      not
      part
      of
     
     
      Western,
      instead
      they
      are
     
     
      owned
      and
      operated
      by
      Coca-
     
     
      Cola.
      Two
      of
      the
      primary
     
     
      complaints
      about
      the
      machines
     
     
      are
      the
      inability
      to
      use
      two
     
     
      dollar
      coins,
      the
      the
      prices
      of
     
     
      the
      items
      in
      the
      machines.
     
    

    
     
      _
      Although
      the
      two
      dollar
     
     
      coin
      will
      fit
      in
      the
      machine,
      it
     
     
      does
      not
      recognize
      the
      coin.
     
     
      Instead,
      the
      twoonies
      jam
      up
     
     
      the
      machine
      causing
      them
      to
     
     
      register
      as
      out
      of
      order.
      In
     
     
      order
      to
      change
      the
      coins
      into
     
     
      usable
      loonies,
      students
      were
     
     
      overwhelming
      facilities
      such
     
     
      as
      the
      Pitstop
      with
      requests
     
     
      for
      change.
      Signs
      are
      now
     
     
      posted
      throughout
      the
      Pit
     
     
      explaining
      that
      they
      will
      no
     
     
      longer
      give
      change
      for
      the
     
     
      machines.
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      Peter
     
     
      Mellish,
      Western
      Vending
     
     
      Representative,
      the
      company
     
     
      does
      plan
      to
      adapt
      their
     
     
      machines
      to
      allow
      for
      the
      two
     
     
      dollar
      coin.
      However,
      it
      is
      a
     
     
      slow
      process
      because
      of
      the
     
     
      expense
      involved.
      Circuitry
     
     
      within
      the
      machines
      must
      be
     
     
      adapted
      to
      recognize
      the
      alloys
     
     
      of
      the
      twoonie;
      to
      adjust
      every
     
     
      machine
      on
      campus
      will
      cost
     
     
      Western
      Vending
      several
     
     
      thousand
      dollars.
     
    

    
     
      While
      it
      would
      seem
     
     
      necessary
      to
      at
      lest
      adapt
      the
     
     
      change
      machines,
      Mellish
     
     
      states
      that
      such
      a
      change
      is
      not
     
     
      in
      the
      future
      plans
      of
      Western
     
     
      Vending.
      Instead
      they
      plan
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      upgrade
      their
      beverage
     
     
      machines
      as
      Well,
      rather
      than
     
     
      rely
      on
      a
      change
      machine
      paid
     
     
      for
      by
      Western
      Vending.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      source
      of
     
     
      concern
      for
      students
      is
      the
     
     
      prices
      within
      the
      machines,
     
     
      such
      as
      the
      one
      dollar
      price
      tag
     
     
      on
      potato
      chips.
      The
      same
     
     
      chips
      retail
      for
      seventy-five
     
     
      cents.
      When
      tax
      is
      figured
      into
     
     
      the
      retail
      cost,
      students
      are
     
     
      paying
      an
      extra
      twelve
      cents
     
     
      for
      the
      privilege
      of
      using
      the
     
     
      machines.
     
    

    
     
      The
      cost
      of
      the
      chips
     
     
      does
      not
      irk
      students
      as
      much
     
     
      as
      the
      diminished
      size
      of
      the
     
     
      bags.
      Hostess
      has
      shrunken
     
     
      their
      bag
      sizes
      by
      five
      grams
      to
     
     
      atotal
      of
      fifty
      grams.
      However,
     
     
      the
      wholesale
      cost
      of
      the
     
     
      product
      has
      remained
      the
     
     
      same.
     
    

    
     
      Small
      Fry
      distributes
     
     
      both
      their
      own
      product
      and
     
     
      Humpty
      Dumpty
      chips.
      They
     
     
      have
      maintained
      their
      fifty-five
     
     
      gram
      bag
      size.
      Chris
      Murphy
     
     
      of
      Small
      Fry
      noted
      that
      chip
     
     
      prices
      have
      not
      changed
     
     
      dramatically
      in
      the
      last
      ten
     
     
      years.
      "Companies
      such
      as
     
     
      Hostess
      are
      more
      likely
      to
     
     
      reduce
      sizes
      rather
      than
     
     
      increase
      prices,”
      said
      Murphy,
     
     
      "market
      studies
      have
      shown
     
     
      that
      consumers
      are
      more
      willing
     
     
      toaccepta
      five
      gram
      downsize,
     
     
      rather
      than
      a
      price
      increase."
     
     
      While
      some
      of
      the
      bags
      are
     
     
      smaller
      than
      what
      students
      are
     
     
      accustomed
      to
      seeing,
      the
     
     
      companies
      size
      reduction
     
     
      applies
      to
      both
      retail
      and
      those
     
     
      chips
      offered
      in
      concessions
     
     
      such
      as
      our
      vending
      machines.
     
    

    
     
      Traditionally,
      Hostess
     
     
      provided
      only
      forty
      gram
      bags
     
     
      to
      vending
      services.
      Now
      that
     
     
      the
      sizing
      is
      uniform,
      all
      Hostess
     
     
      bags
      are
      fifty
      grams,
      for
      the
     
     
      same
      price
      they
      were
      asking
     
     
      as
      the
      forty
      gram
      bag.
      UPEI
     
     
      students
      may
      be
      actually
     
     
      getting
      a
      deal
      on
      the
      new
      size.
     
     
      So,
      does
      anyone
      have
      change
     
     
      for
      a
      twoonie?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Y
      a
     
     
      TOV
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Contract
      Year
      for
      Marriott
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Karen
      Rawlines
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      may
      see
      a
      great
     
     
      change
      in
      the
      food
      services
     
     
      offered
      on
      campus
      as
      early
      as
     
     
      the
      97-98
      academic
      year
      should
     
     
      Marriott
      Food
      Services's
     
     
      contract
      not
      be
      renewed.
     
    

    
     
      We
      are
      presently
      in
      a
     
     
      contract
      review
      year
      for
      food
     
     
      services
      on
      campus,
      currently
     
     
      provided
      by
      Marriott
      Foods.
     
     
      These
      services
      are
     
     
      concentrated
      in
      the
      Wanda
     
     
      Wyatt
      dining
      hall,
      and
      affect
     
     
      residence
      students
      most
     
     
      directly,
      but
      the
      decisions
      being
     
     
      made
      in
      the
      months
      ahead
      will
     
     
      affect
      the
      entire
      campus.
     
     
      Marriott
      currently
      supplies
      to
     
     
      the
      Pit
      coffee
      shop,
      the
      Atlantic
     
     
      Veterinary
      College's
      cafeteria
     
     
      and
      the
      canteen
      at
      the
      Sports
     
     
      Centre.
      They
      also
      cater
      to
     
     
      various
      events
      on
      campus,
     
     
      including
      faculty
      events
      and
     
     
      conferences.
      The
      Food
      and
     
     
      Vending
      committee,
      including
     
     
      residence
      student
      Erin
      Wall,
     
     
      realizes
      that
      supplying
      food
      to
     
     
      such
      a
      large
      variety
      of
      tastes
     
     
      and
      appetites
      is
      no
      easy
      task.
     
     
      All
      efforts
      are
      being
      made
      to
     
     
      ensure
      faculty
      and
      students
     
     
      that
      UPEI
      has
      the
      best
      food
     
    
   
   
    
     
      service
      possible
      feeding
      the
     
     
      us.
     
     
      The
      Food
      and
      Vending
     
    
   
   
    
     
      food
      and
      vending
      operations
     
     
      on
      campus,
      including
      Marriott
     
     
      and
      the
      vending
      machines.
      A
     
     
      sub-committee
      has
      been
     
     
      created
      to
      review
      all
      aspects
     
     
      of
      Marriott's
      business
      on
     
     
      campus.
      The
      decision
      being
     
     
      made
      this
      year
      will
      affect
     
     
      students
      not
      only
      of
      the
      next
     
     
      academic
      year,
      but
      through
      to
     
     
      the
      year
      2000,
      whereupon
     
     
      another
      review
      will
      take
      place.
     
     
      Contracts
      are
      typically
      three
     
     
      years
      in
      length.
     
    

    
     
      At
      present,
      options
     
     
      available
      are
      to
      stay
      with
     
     
      Marriott,
      or
      to
      accept
      bids
      from
     
     
      other
      catering
      companies.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      mixed
     
     
      reviews
      regarding
      the
      current
     
     
      situation
      with
      Marriott,
      with
     
     
      the
      biggest
      complaint
      being
      the
     
     
      high
      price
      residence
      students
     
     
      are
      forced
      to
      pay
      for
      meal
     
     
      plans.
      The
      decision
      made
      this
     
     
      year
      will
      have
      the
      biggest
      effect
     
     
      on
      residence
      students,
     
     
      regardless
      of
      what
      is
      decided.
     
    

    
     
      At
      this
      time,
      the
     
     
      evaluation
      sub-committee
      is
     
     
      still
      in
      the
      beginning
      processes
     
     
      of
      the
      development
      of
      an
     
     
      evaluation
      format,
      with
      specific
     
     
      criteria
      focusing
      on
      what
      the
     
     
      prospective
      catering
      service
     
     
      would
      offer
      the
      campus.
      The
     
     
      Food
      and
      Vending
      committee
     
     
      is
      15
      members
      strong,
      including
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      faculty
      members.
      They
     
     
      meet
      biweekly,
      and
      deal
      with
     
     
      all
      issues
      on
      campus.
      The
     
     
      smaller
      evaluation
      committee,
     
     
      which
      at
      the
      moment
      consists
     
     
      of
      three
      members
      --
      potentially
     
     
      expanding
      to
      take
      on
      an
      extra
     
     
      member
      to
      aid
      the
      decision
     
     
      making
      process
      --
      is
      meeting
     
     
      every
      week
      until
      the
      evaluation
     
     
      process
      is
      approved.
      Once
      it
     
     
      has
      been
      approved,
      the
     
     
      committee
      will
      meet
      nearly
     
     
      every
      day.
     
    

    
     
      To
      date,
      Marriott
      has
     
     
      been
      very
      helpful
      with
      the
     
     
      evaluation,
      stated
      Ms.
      Wall,
     
     
      who
      is
      involved
      with
      both
     
     
      committees.
      The
      last
     
     
      evaluation
      was
      three
      years
     
     
      ago.
      Wall
      explains,
      "ifall
      goes
     
     
      according
      to
      plan,
      the
     
     
      evaluation
      process
      will
      begin
     
     
      middle
      to
      late
      November."
      A
     
     
      decision
      would
      be
      made
      by
     
     
      January,
      before
      second
     
     
      semester.
     
    

    
     
      The
      decisions
      being
     
     
      made
      regarding
      the
      food
     
     
      services
      will
      also
      have
      a
      vast
     
     
      effect
      on
      many
      students
      all
     
     
      over
      campus
      who
      are
     
     
      employed
      by
      Marriott.
      If
      the
     
     
      committee
      decides
      not
      to
     
     
      renew
      Marriott's
      contract,
      the
     
     
      transition
      to
      the
      new
      catering
     
     
      service
      will
      be
      made
      in
      August
     
     
      of
      1997.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      adapt
      their
      other
      vending
      committee
      deals
      with
      all
      the
      students.
      student
      development