Missing Morg Mart Makes Surprise Reappearance

After a Two Year Hiatus, Morgenstern's Own Store Promises to be a Campus Mainstay

Prior to the holiday break, Morg Mart celebrated its biannual reopening. With this event, students were finally given the opportunity to once again buy food late at night. Since the caf store remains closed after regular hours, which extend only into the evening, Morg Mart is at present the only option students have to buy snacks on the Yeshiva University campus at night.

Located in the basement of the Morgenstern Residence Hall, Morg Mart affords students who live in Morg the ability to buy food without making the cross-campus trek to the Rubin Residence Hall where the caf store is housed. The management of Morg Mart has adopted several other policies to further distinguish itself from its better known competitor. The store will be open from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, one hour longer than the traditional hours of the caf store. In addition they are hoping to have a weekly Dougies or Chopsticks night.

The food sold in the store consists mostly of snack foods such as candy and pretzels along with hot dogs and other assorted meat products. Instead of using the large refrigeration units, beverages such as Arizona Iced Tea and Coca-Cola can be found in a large ice bucket that bears a striking resemblance to the ones used at tailgate parties.

However, Morg Mart still does not match the range of food provided by the caf store, and most importantly the store is not compatible with the caf card. Also, despite the amount of food present, the setup of the store leaves something to be desired. With much of the space not utilized, the store can seem empty despite the amount that is actually there.

Six to eight student employees, who generally work in two to three man shifts, staff the store. The store is run by the Joint Business Society of the Sy Syms School of Business. Elan Magence, manager of Morg Mart, exclaimed, We are very happy with the overall reaction of the students to Morg Mart. We hope that this success continues and welcome any suggestions that the student body might have.

This years version of Morg Mart is hoping to overcome problems that have haunted the store since its inception several years ago. Students have become weary of the store's sporadic openings and travails, and many students feel that the store will not last. Two years ago the store was plagued by financial difficulties which eventually led to inventory problems. Last year the store suffered through severe management problems and was closed after being open only a few short weeks. With the backing of the JBS and strong management, the store appears to be headed in the right direction with no glaring problems that could lead to a premature closing.

Overall the response to Morg Mart has been positive. Jesse Mendelson, YC 99, commented, its good to see ambitious students on campus willing to take chances.Although happy with the store, other students still feel that Morg Mart is only a bridge to the eventual opening of the caf store. Eric Schubert, SSSB 00, explained the typical Rubin Residence Hall feeling. For now theyre the only game in town so they have my business. But once the caf store opens, it'll be tough to continue going to Morg.