As I established in last week’s issue of The Beacon, Wilkes places seemingly dull eateries in convenient locations. Expanding on this underlying theme of the campus, I came upon a brilliant idea the other day. I had just pressed the elevator button at the University Towers building, when I looked to my left. In that space is a lounge that nobody uses.

Why is that? I strayed from the elevators and wandered into the lounge. An old television, microwave and a soda machine are all that are in the room. At one time, you could use the exit door within the lounge as another way to get out of the building, but not anymore. Observing the room, I concluded that something can surely be done with the derelict area.

Listening to my fellow students and peers, I noticed a recurring problem; there is no twenty-four hour convenience store on the campus.  The follow-up reply usually was “yeah that would be great,” or “man, that place would make money.” Standing in that empty lounge and remembering these statements, I had an epiphany.  A small twenty-four hour convenience store would be the perfect entity to fill the first floor lounge space in the University Towers building.

I, for one, most certainly do not go to bed at 9, 10 or even 11 p.m.  I stay up until 1, 2, or 3 a.m.  Most often, I am with friends or on my own doing school work.  I get the munchies too, so much so that I can’t stop thinking about eating.  Sure, I buy food from Wal-Mart to offset my need to eat at 1 a.m., but sometimes I run out.

There is never enough food in my cabinet during the week, so I end up ordering Domino’s.  I feel the school can cut in on this action and make some money.  How?  Put a convenience store in the first floor lounge of Towers.  When I get hungry I could just mosey down the hall, ride the elevator, and walk into the new convenience store.

The possible food items can be the same as any convenience store.  What is the difference between a Rite-Aid and the “Wilkes Mart”?  The Wilkes-located store can be more easily operated by the university, and it is located safely on the Wilkes campus, right next to the public safety office.

My conclusion is simple.  Clear the Towers lounge, build a small convenience store there, and keep it open twenty-four hours.  From these three stipulations emerges an idea with two principles in mind; ingenuity and common sense.  I pose this question to you, the reader.  Does Wilkes University have the common sense to see such a good idea?  We’ll see.