Ice cream is a delicious, sweet treat that is loved by many. On the Eureka College Campus, the ice cream machine was an enticing item to use while dining in the Commons. Unfortunately, the institution has had problems servicing the machine and removed it from the cafeteria around fall of 2022.
Since then, students have been upset about its absence. Hayden Skaggs, Student Body President, reminisced on the times that he was able to satisfy his sweet tooth.
“I used the ice cream machine all of the time! It was a regular soft serve machine that served chocolate, vanilla, or a chocolate/vanilla swirl. There were typically toppings such as chocolate chips and sprinkles out, though I often made root beer floats with mine,” Skaggs said.
Senior student-athlete Gaige Owens also stated that his dining experience has been impacted by the machine failure.
“I don’t want to bash but [The Commons] is not the best already…Outside of my wrestling season, I would use it almost everyday. I love vanilla ice cream. The ice cream machine can sometimes save dinner,” he said.
While it is not at the top of the list of priority issues for students, Owens feels like it is high up there, claiming that by now, he believes students have become accustomed to not having an ice cream machine.
“A lot of students would love more food variety,” he said. “They always make cookies and brownies etc. so I’m not sure [more alternatives] is the answer.”
Student Body Vice President, Baylor Cluver, stated that the Student Senate has not been provided substantial information regarding the machine, other than the fact that it kept breaking and they were struggling to receive the necessary parts for it.
“I’m very excited that you’re writing a piece on this issue (hopefully it will help put things in motion to get the beloved machine back),” Cluver said. She had also stated that Dean of Students, Bridgett Thomas, has been working with Doug Simmonds, from the Commons, to attempt to resolve the issue. Despite receiving no comments from Simmonds, Dean Thomas confirmed that the conversation is still on the table and that the institution is still working toward finding a solution.
“The Commons found, for an alternative, it is like ice cream, kind of like smoothies. There were two machines that we were going to get, that would offer four different flavors per machine. We thought they’d be here in September, October, it just kept prolonging until [the vendors] said that they were unavailable.”
Thomas did mention how Eureka could not order some of the parts, further delaying a resolution for the issue. However, she empathizes with the students, recalling how she would go to the Commons and get a little swirled cone.
“We’re really trying. I’m going to see what I can do for the students in the fall. I’m going to continue, the conversations are still on the table. Let’s see what we can do and what type of alternatives we can [find].
Though it is not readily available in the Commons, pints of Uncle Bob’s Ice Cream can be found in the burgoo. Hopefully soon, a resolution will come where students and faculty alike can enjoy a frozen treat in the shared dining area.
