While wandering around campus, students can find cell phones, jewelry and even posters being sold throughout the Danna Center and the Peace Quad. However, many students disagree on whether these vendors are a convenience or just a nuisance.
“I think the purpose of these items to be sold on campus is to offer something new to the students,” said Chris Cameron, director of Student Activities.
“Many students do not have cars, and offering these services to them and the rest of the student body makes it more convenient for them,” he said. Francisco Larrieu, psychology and pre-med freshman, agreed. “I think it is easy access to the students,” he said. “If students need cell phones, and they are available on campus, why would they leave campus to find one?”
Not everyone feels the same on the subject, however. “I think the students would go somewhere else to buy (products), even if they are offered on campus,” said Erin Clark, business management sophomore.Some students said the vendors are a hassle that detracts from the campus.
“I think the vendors are tacky and intrusive to poor college students, and they make the campus look bad,” said Emily Pervel, history sophomore. “The cell phone people hassle you and then send out your names to other companies.” said Christin Carotta, finance and philosophy junior.
“Although I do not think the students would buy cell phones from campus, I think the jewelry and poster vendors are great for the students,” Clark said. “I think it livens up the campus, and they really don’t get in your way. If you don’t need their services, just ignore them.”
Credit cards declinedCredit cards are not available to the students through vendors. “We starting having problems with credit card companies a couple of years ago, and after the problem persisted, they had to be removed from campus,” said Michele Dupre, administrative assistant for Student Activities.
“We have an agreement with all of our vendors that come on campus, but the credit card companies just could not seem to follow them,” Cameron said. “We knew we had to draw the line when we found a credit card company bringing a copy machine on campus and copying students’ licenses.”
After a vote made by the SGA/ Student Activities subcommittee, the credit card companies were removed from the campus.
“I think it is a good thing that the credit card companies have been taken off, because they come to make a profit off of students’ impulse buying,” Pervel said.
Although the credit card companies have been banned from campus, there is still a small problem with vendors sneaking onto the campus.”At least once a semester, a credit card company sets up a table and the University Police has to come chase them off the campus,” Cameron said.
Retail rulesTo keep that hassle from arising again on campus, the Student Activities Office has a strict set of rules for the vendors to follow.According to the Retail Vendor Agreement, the vendors must present Commercial General Liability Insurance, Worker’s Compensation Insurance, Employer’s Liability Insurance and Automobile Liability and Property Damage Insurance.
Furthermore, the vendors have to pay a fee to Loyola every time they want to set up a table.
“There is a 30 dollar flat fee for all vendors,” Cameron said. The money received from these fees goes into the general revenue for the university.
“Between the fees received for those vendor tables, and outside groups renting Danna Center rooms, the university makes a little under $10,000 a year,” Cameron said. “They must be making some sort of profit also, if they keep coming back and paying a flat fee,” Dupre said.
Cameron said he thinks that overall, the services are an asset for students.
“I think we offer things that the students like to buy,” Cameron said. “And I think overall the students find them to be convenient.”
