By miranda white
looking for gum? (Andrea Grout)
By miranda white
Some of you may have looked for the gum in the Bookstore and found yourself winding around every little corner … until someone told you gum was no longer allowed to be sold.
The gum was here, and then gone right before the students’ eyes. Or was it?
“Only a few students knew about the new policy,” said store employee LaToya Riggins.
No posters were put up and most students just found out by searching for the gum and not finding it.
According to Riggins, Student Activities stopped the sale of gum in the Bookstore on Oct. 17.
In response to why gum was no longer sold in the Bookstore, Vice Chancellor of Student Services and Operations Linda Lacy said there was some confusion involved.
“We have had a no gum policy in the store for years, but the manager of the Bookstore wasn’t aware of it. Within the last six-to-seven months, the policy had been broken,” Lacy said. Riggins offered her own theory as to why she feels gum was not being sold in the Bookstore anymore.
“The administrators feel it costs more money to clean it up and the students aren’t being respectful towards the campus. And students put it underneath the chairs and put it on the floor instead of the trash can.” Lacy agreed with that statement.
Some students expressed negative thoughts about the policy.
“It’s ridiculous because people are still going to bring in gum from the outside,” said Eleana Jimenez. “It’s not going to stop us from doing that.” Student Letty Bloz didn’t even notice the gum problem but commented that there is a lot of gum on the ground, she feels that the decision to remove gum from the Bookstore shelves was a good one.
So, will the Bookstore start selling gum again? Riggins is not optimistic.”I doubt it … unless the students petition,” she said.
When asked if she thought students would protest, Jimenez said no.The Riverside Campus will have to wait and see if students will clean up their act, as well as the campus, or make the gum problem even worse by bringing it in from the outside.
