Formerly Sam’s, the CoMC basement storefront now sits empty. Photo by Isabeth Castillo.
By Isabeth Castillo
Many students are curious about the empty Sam’s Express location in the basement of the College of Media & Communication building.
Multiple academic buildings on campus have refreshment options. But the former Sam’s Express in CoMC closed after a few years of operation.
The Rawls College of Business offers a Chick-Fil-A Express and an Einstein Bros. Bagels, while other buildings like Human Sciences have Sam’s Express locations with grab-and-go snacks. A full list of on-campus dining locations is available on the Texas Tech University Hospitality Services website.
The Hospitality Services website states their goal is to promote students’ educational needs and provide environments that give students the full Texas Tech experience.
Some CoMC students, though, feel as though their needs are being ignored. Katelyn Johnson expressed her frustration.
“Whenever I have classes in the Media and Communication building, I never have time to grab a snack before my classes, and it’s kind of frustrating knowing other buildings have that option,” Johnson said.
Johnson, a sophomore public relations major from Big Spring, said that even with dining options nearby, the 10-minute passing period between classes rarely allows enough time to leave the building.
“I spend most of my time in-between classes trying to make it back before my next class starts,” Johnson said “The Market’s close, but not necessarily convenient for every student.”
Brooke Taylor, a journalism major from Lubbock, shared similar frustrations.
“I have friends in the Rawls College of Business that get the luxury of staying in the same building all day without any need to leave,” Taylor said.
Taylor said her busy schedule prohibits her from being able to have the opportunity to pick up food nearby.
“I don’t have the time to run to the next Sam’s Place with my schedule, when I could just go down to the basement,” Taylor said.
She said she understands why a CoMC location may not be as trafficked as others on campus, but still sees potential in the space itself.
“It doesn’t even have to be a Sam’s Express,” Taylor said. “Anything focused towards supplying energy to students throughout their day, like a good coffee, would be a huge help.”
According to a data report from Barnes and Noble College, half of college students say that eating snacks while they’re studying actually helps them concentrate more.
Although there are vending machines offered in the CoMC basement, students desire more than just a pre-packaged snack. Texas Tech University Hospitality Services representative Dee Nguyen provided an explanation for the empty location.
“We noticed a decline in the students visiting these Sam’s Express locations,” Nguyen said. “It didn’t make sense to keep that open.”
Nguyen is the current recruitment unit manager of Hospitality Services. She said the surrounding dining locations, such as The Market at Stangel/Murdough, took business away from the Sam’s Express location.
Seeing this decline, the Hospitality Services made the decision to use their resources responsibly in other areas.
Nguyen added that Hospitality Services is looking into what else can be done with the vacant space, but plans aren’t firm yet.
CoMC students are encouraged to plan for food accordingly and to utilize services like Transact, a free mobile app that allows students to order ahead at select dining locations.
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