The JCU bookstore could be changing locations as part of the University’s Master Plan. The new location would be on Fairmount Circle where the CVS Pharmacy used to be.
The Carroll News is opposed to this move because it will be inconvenient for students, and it does not improve the campus or community.
The reasoning behind this move is that it will enhance campus and the surrounding community. “Moving the bookstore would contribute to that sense of community,” said Jonathan Smith, vice president and executive assistant to the president.
Concerning the current location, Mark McCarthy, vice president of student activities, said, “If things progress to the point that moving the bookstore is a reality, staff in Student Affairs and Facilities Administration will work closely with Student Union and student organizations to redesign the space to meet student needs.”
This would not be a good decision because moving the bookstore off campus will be inconvenient for students, the majority of which live on campus and walk through the atrium on a daily basis. Moving it farther away will discourage students who might need extra tissues, pens, etc., from making the trip, especially in the cold weather during winter.
As far as appealing more to the outside community by moving to a location on Fairmount, we have local citizens walking through campus all the time so the change in location might not even make that much of a difference.
High school parents and students who visit and go on tours and want to buy JCU apparel will be inconvenienced by this move.
The issue of what to do with the current bookstore location if it were to move is something that would need to be discussed in such a way that the entire student body could have a say. Redesigning the space to meet student needs shouldn’t be necessary since money was just spent to enhance The Underground.
The University should re-evaluate the pros and cons before making this decision. It seems to us that the pros do not outweigh the cons.
