Students will soon be able to eat Belgian waffles with the university logo branded on them.
Kevin Gilligan, general manager of Sodexo at Marquette, said the specialized waffle makers will be available in Mashuda Hall, Cobeen Hall and McCormick Hall. He said he thinks it is something fun to add to the waffles, and that students can expect them to be available by spring semester.
Rick Arcuri, director of business operations and auxiliary services, said the university previously considered making this change the last time the iron waffle plates were replaced. A student at University President Michael Lovell’s fireside chat on Oct. 29 brought up the idea again.
“A request came through and we thought we might as well just do it now,” Arcuri said. “It’s something that the students want.”
Arcuri said Sodexo owns the machines, but the university will only have to pay a one-time fee for the new customized irons. He said the university is always looking for ways to create things students want.
“It’s kind of fun to order something students want to see happen,” he said.
Kim Allen, a freshman in the College of Nursing, expects students to enjoy the new machines. Allen said it is good to see the university taking time to focus on small details students might enjoy.
“It’s school spirit in more than just the traditional sense,” Allen said.“It’s kind of nice, it’s a little thing and you wouldn’t think they would care about that.”
“It doesn’t affect academics or anything, but its something that could enlighten a student’s day,” said Emily Sprague, a freshman in the College of Nursing.
John Chitko, chef manager at the Cobeen Hall Dining Hall, said he is excited to work with the new waffles. He plans to create unique yellow and gold toppings for the waffles that will go with the Marquette logo.
Marissa Ellison, a freshman in the College of Communication, said the university could do a better job of listening to student ideas, even though it was responsive on this topic.
“I feel like the university listens to students pretty well for certain things,” Ellison said. “There’s definite discrepancies on who they listen to sometimes.”
Ellison said she wants the university to focus on bigger issues.
“I think there’s sometimes more important things that they might not be listening to,” she said. “We need to be sure to vocalize those things more.”
