Joshua Rosenberg ’29
Staff Writer
We all know America is experiencing a cost-of-living increase, something that many people are referring to as a crisis. This is, of course, a complex issue with a myriad of causes. This time, however, I’d like to talk about a pricing problem that is affecting us at the College of the Holy Cross specifically.
In passing conversation on the day I am writing this, a friend of mine remarked that in his search for tissues for his room, he had discovered that the Holy Cross Lobby Shop was selling a single box for the astounding price of $6.38. While you digest that figure, keep in mind that one could buy a pack of six large tissue boxes at Walmart for $14.99. I understand that the Lobby Shop is a convenient place for students to pick up essentials and snacks, and this convenience factor is no doubt factored into its prices, but one must also understand that the nigh-Weimaresque price inflation of our Hogan depot applies to every item. Take, for example, the “butter squishy,” a novelty fidget toy in the shape of a stick of butter. While this particular object is most likely produced for pennies in a factory in China or perhaps Vietnam, the Lobby Shops sells it for an astounding $12. One Sharpie, however, will run you $4, despite this item’s obviously higher utility. This is but one example of the myriad items with strange pricing schemes.
While I agree that the $450 in dining dollars that the College generously gives back to the students should generally be enough to sustain a mindful student over the course of a semester, the recent increase in prices at the Lobby Shop, Cool Beans, and Crossroads 1843 Grill shows that the College has not been spared from the nationwide increase in the cost of living, especially with a container of frozen grapes from the Lobby Shop costing $6.
So, what is the solution to this economic conundrum? Seeing as the College is a private institution with complete control over Lobby Shop prices, combined with a sticker price of more than $90,000 a year (an issue not unique to Holy Cross), they could very easily just reduce the cost of Lobby Shop items. However, I personally believe in a more nuanced option. Perhaps the College should embark on a study to analyze the most purchased items at the Lobby Shop and compare the cost of the item to the cost of the item at a major retailer, before imposing only the minimum of duties on the item.
In the end, the Lobby Shop is unlikely to become the cheapest place on campus overnight, but perhaps it doesn’t have to be; a willingness to recognize that students and their families are already paying enough would go a long way. Until such a time, shop wisely, Crusaders.
Image courtesy of the College of Holy Cross
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