By Owen Heh
During a brisk November evening at Lewis & Clark, a group of students gather at Maggie’s for a nice hot latte and settle in for a productive, stress-free and relaxed study session. If only this were a reality. From unprofessionalism to undercooked food, Maggie’s has a long way to go in becoming a great hang out and study spot for students on campus.
Perhaps the most frustrating characteristic of Maggie’s is the lack of professionalism exhibited by its employees which is not conducive to a welcoming environment. Allow me to elaborate with some recurring themes which I and many others have encountered. You sit, attempting to focus on your Exploration and Discovery reading when your train of thought is rudely interrupted by music played at an inappropriate volume — I can not imagine wanting to study to a tracklist selection of eerie lo-fi beats, heavy EDM, and obscure rap. You sit with your friends when you are distracted by some taboo conversation between employees. I have heard everything from sexual topics to smoking marijuana. You attempt to enjoy a mediocre sandwich a couple chairs down from the employee rolling her own cigarettes at the counter, which is prohibited on our tobacco-free campus. What is more, these frequent experiences are accompanied by smaller frustrations such as the trash can frequently overflowing, the tendency of employees to use profanities and occasionally bicker with each other and having to sit on old and partially stained couches, which I will admit is better than all metal furniture.
Unfortunately, this unprofessionalism is far from the end of fixable problems that plague Maggie’s reputation. In fact, many of these issues are up to its management to correct. Many times, I have been told wildly different policies regarding how and when individuals with meal plans can use their swipes at Maggie’s. Many times, I have been greatly disappointed by the meals served at Maggie’s; even the employees occasionally concede that their food is “disgusting” — no one wants their lettuce toasted with their ham sandwich. Many times, I have encountered snack items that literally cost twice as much as they would at the grocery or convenience store. This, I presume, is because Bon Appétit knows that they hold a monopoly on students who need to buy some late-night food without leaving campus, and because it feels like you are spending less when you use flex points because they have been preloaded to your account. This is incredibly frustrating because Bon Appétit knows that they do not have to charge more — I assume that their wholesale costs are marginally greater than those of a normal convenience store — but they can because Maggie’s is the only place for students to get non-vending machine food once dinner closes.
Maggie’s has the potential to be a great on-campus spot for studying, hanging out and getting a late-night bite. Unfortunately, this potential is unrealized due to the fixable problems of unprofessionalism, less than mediocre food and unnecessarily inflated prices which destroy its standing in comparison to any other generic cafe.
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Yikes dude. Try not to confuse poor management by Bon-Appetteit with the poor suckers working there for minimum wage, limited hours, and no chance of promotion. If you’re looking for a quiet place to study, try the library or an empty classroom (you can play your own boring music there), but don’t write an entire article because you’re not a fan of other peoples music choice in a public venue. You’re not the first student to criticize Maggies and you certainly won’t be the last. Simply put, it seems like it just might not be the place for you. Good luck with your next 3 years.
*underage student brings illicit substance (which isn’t allowed onto college property for any reason, especially for those who are underage) into a public place* *school employees do their jobs and confiscate illicit substance* *butthurt kid writes hate review instead of analyzing own poor behavior* *kiddo’s buddies try and back him up because they are missing their smoke sesh*
Grow up.
*Maggie’s employees steal weed out of students backpack*
*kid writes true article about establishment*
*maggies employees get super upset about their business getting a bad review*
also perhaps not the wisest to post about an underage student in possession of marijuana, just sayin. Especially when his name is attached to this article.
As a graduate of Lewis & Clark, Maggie’s was the ONLY place I studied my freshman year. While you may not be able to handle the “distasteful ambiance,” for me, it was a reprieve from the stress of the library for all my E&D readings. So please, get off your privileged, high horse and stop criticizing your classmates who are working hard and the place that many hold close to their hearts.
Owen, as a senior bon’appetit employee, this is an incredibly distasteful submission.
Woooooooooow. Glad to hear the biggest problem freshmen are facing this year is being mildly inconvienced by underpaid workers just trying to do their jobs. So sorry to hear you have been so personally targeted by the meal plans, which are decided by Bon Apetit and the school, and not by the workers of Maggie’s, the Dovecote, or any of the other dining halls on campus. My god, how privileged do you have to be to criticize your fellow peers who are working work-study jobs in order to pay tuition. Perhaps money isn’t an issue for you. Maybe you’ve never had to worry about rent a day in your life. But others have, and this is their way to make a living. Maybe next time instead of posting a passive aggressive article on the Pio Log, you could fill out a comment card or politely speak to a barista about your issues. This is how adults handle things. Last I checked, no one on campus is a mind reader. If you have an issue, it is your responsibility to communicate that issue to someone who can help you solve it. This just appears to be an immature cry for attention rather than actual productive action. I hope that your next three and a half years at our esteemed institution can somehow, in someway, teach you perhaps the first thing about being a decent human being. Stranger things have happened.
Thanks you -current Maggie’s employee