With the current COVID19 pandemic sweeping the United States, Lamar University is still trying to serve students who may live on campus and cannot go back home.
In a recent release by LU President Kenneth Evans, he states that while classes will move to an online format for the rest of the semester, campus will remain open for certain services. This includes select study locations and computer labs, residence halls and the Brooks Shivers Dining Hall (only for take-out meals).
The Recreational Sports Center was open until state and federal legislation went into effect that shut the doors until further notice.
On March 21, Dining Services announced the opening of a new dining option, The Brooks Shivers Pop-Up Market. The market is located inside Brooks Shivers Dining Hall and is open during normal dining hall hours of operation. Occupancy is limited to 10 at a time to promote social distancing, according to a Dining Hall social media post.
“We decided we would open the Pop-Up Market the first day of spring break and immediately got to work,” Jack Spurlock, Lamar University Dining Services manager, said. “The Pop-Up Market has been implemented in the past during summer sessions and Hurricane Harvey — not to this level though.”
The idea came after they received word that all on campus retail dining locations were to be close, including the restaurants and market in the Setzer Student Center, and the Papa Johns and Market located inside Cardinal Village.
“When we realized that all retail was going to be closed, we wanted to continue to give students still living on campus the opportunity to have access to essentials they may need in their dorms,” Spurlock said.
“The process took the entire week of Spring Break. We transferred all the product and displays you would normally find at the Market C-Store in the Setzer Student Center and Cardinal Village and combined them into the Pop-Up Market in Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall.”
Spurlock said he has received a great response from the students regarding the Pop-Up Market, as it provides access to supplies that currently are either unavailable or only available in limited quantities in retail locations across the country due to the COVID19 pandemic.
Additionally, since the on-campus Papa Johns is closed, dining services are offering pizza that students can order by phone and pick up at the market.
“The response has been great so far,” Spurlock said. “Students have access to high-demand products including toilet paper, cleaning supplies and other essentials that are difficult to find elsewhere currently. Now these products can be conveniently found right here on campus.
We are also offering pick-up pizza service. Students can text 409-600-9209 with their name and style of pizza — cheese, pepperoni, sausage or veggie — they would like to order. They then can pick-up their order in 30 minutes or less at Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall during the lunch and dinner services.”
Beaumont freshman Alejandro Gomez said he likes the convenience that the new addition brings to Lamar.
“As a student who is still living on campus, I can say the Pop-Up Market has been really convenient,” he said. “It has all the basic cleaning and hygiene products, as well as lots of snacks and food.”
For more about initiatives and campus changes regarding COVID19, follow campus social media or visit lamar.edu/coronavirus.