Written by Jon Bair.
I don’t know if you’ve experienced the majesty that is the new drink options in the remodeled, redone, and refurbished Union, but all I’ve got to say is wow. No more are you limited to an old, run-of-the-mill soda dispenser that gave you the standard 8 or 10 options with ice in the middle. No, Greenville is beyond that now. We have the soda machine of the future. You may have seen it: I’m talking about the brilliantly black and sleek machine situated right next to the cashier’s stand.
No longer do you have to choose between just Coke and just Fanta. No way. Now, the range of possibilities is seemingly endless. Why not try a Raspberry Coke or a grape Fanta? It is fully equipped with a touchscreen that guides you through the list of selections that may make you weak in the knees and in desperate need of the caffeine in the Mt. Dew you’re about to get (Diet or not! So many choices!).
But maybe you’re like me and not always in the mood for a bubbly, caffeine-rich soda. Sometimes, you’re just really craving a drinkable dessert, and the Union delivers here too. Immediately to the right of the exalted soda machine is the pinnacle of GC’s campus: the milkshake maker. Oh man, is it sure to change your life. Strawberry-Banana Shake? Check. Mint Chocolate Chip? Check. Creamy Chocolate? Check. There is a freezer full of ice cream just waiting to be blended and then enjoyed by unsuspecting students like you and me. While coming in at a whopping 500+ calories per milkshake it isn’t your dieter’s dream, but for the rest of us, it is better than a dream come true, especially when you factor in your blending options: thick, normal, or a near runny consistency. However you like it, in whatever flavor you like, your wish is the milkshake maker’s command.
It’s clear that the scrumptious soda system and the marvelous milkshake machine are the best improvements to jump out and surprise me this year, but those aren’t the only changes around campus. In addition to the new and improved online learning system, Desire 2 Learn (D2L), the brilliant (and much more aesthetically pleasing) replacement to Angel, there’s nice new serving pans in the DC, a new DM building, and some fresh coats of paint in the main entryway of Burritt. We haven’t had any huge campus overhauls, but it’s the little things here and there that keep it looking fresh. I can’t tell you what perspective to have, but as an optimist, all I’ve got to say is that my college experience has been much better than it could have been just by finding those little, sometimes hidden, gems of joy—like new milkshake machines!
All pictures taken by Jenny Cayo
