By Hope Willert
After a long day of classes and homework, many Houghton students look forward to a delicious bowl of ice cream. No matter how hard the day, ice cream can make it better.
As the students approach the dining hall, the smell of food makes their stomachs grumble.
But they really want ice cream.
So they make their way to the machine, grabbing a bowl on the way, only to find that it is gone. The unlimited supply of ice cream at Houghton University has been removed, leaving students upset and confused.
The university used to be well known for its ice cream consumption. In 2018, a Houghton Star article, titled “Ice Cream of Our Own,” by Abigail Reeth, reported that students consumed about 3,000 gallons of ice cream per year – information so impressive that Admissions tour guides would relay this information to prospecting students.
So, why was the ice cream removed? Grace Willert, a senior at Roberts Wesleyan University, stated that while RWU is also catered by Metz, they have continued to provide ice cream in the dining hall. Therefore, the changes do not stem from the Metz company as a whole.
When interviewed, Houghton’s Metz General Manager Bryon Richards explained the initial disappearance of the ice cream, stating that, “it was recommended for sanitary and food safety reasons [regarding COVID-19] that we remove the student self scoop ice cream.”
Regarding the changes in the past few months, Richards explained that several staff members agreed to implement this change to “address the concerns of those wanting another eatery in the area and for those who wanted to see the return of hard scoop ice cream.”
Ice cream can now only be purchased at Sizzle and Swirl – the result of Richards’ and other staff members’ decision. Senior Zoe Utterback, who was present through these changes, stated that, when she began as a freshman in 2019, “we had hard scoop ice cream from Perrys, and we usually had between 10 and 12 flavors at all times.” In contrast, she stated that “now the only way to get good ice cream is by paying for it.”
Utterback and her friend, Makaila VanWie-Adair, explained that the change does not make sense because the price of meal plans has not decreased. Utterback stated, “I don’t think it’s fair that we have to go downstairs and pay for ice cream when it was something that was previously included in our dining services.” Many students across campus have a similar view.
Though first year students have never experienced self-serve ice cream in the dining hall. Freshman Abigail Englebert stated that the only ice cream that she has had have been the small, pre-packaged ice cream treats from the dining hall. She has heard about the availability of ice cream in the past, stating that “I definitely would prefer the ice cream machine over what they have now… it sounds awesome.”
Between the Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors, who dearly miss the free ice cream in the dining hall, and the Freshmen, who have heard of the ice cream availability of the past, it is safe to say that the student body would like their ice cream back.
Although frustration among students is understandable, Richard’s interview shows that these changes were actually made in an attempt to cater to student requests. Therefore, student opinion may have the potential to lead to more change, potentially bringing free ice cream back to Houghton.★
