JESSIE GAMBRELL
STAFF WRITER

There has been a big change in the beverage department at Cal State San Marcos. Previously our campus provided a variety of brands of beverages, but now, through an agreement between University Auxiliary and Research Services Corporation (UARSC) and PepsiCo, our school has accepted PepsiCo as our sole beverage provider.

“Just the minor improvements have made a huge difference,” UARSC Executive Director Dora Knoblock said.

UARSC is the administrative services for all dining and beverage services at CSUSM: catering, the Big Cat market, vending machines, Starbucks, and bookstore and university store. UARSC also provides support to the other four auxiliaries on campus. The decision will greatly benefit the school and students financially because PepsiCo has a better sustainability program for our recycling record and funding for our university.

“It is a positive new program that will benefit our students,” Knoblock said.

All over the campus, the beverage departments have received makeovers. The vending machines have a new look and are more technologically advanced in that they now accept debit and credit cards.

“The vending machines are more modern, and I really like the Pepsi products better,” freshman Koresh Dashtizadeh said.

The beverage switch to PepsiCo is cheaper in the stores, but costs an extra 25 cents in the vending machines.

The new soda change features Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Crush, Aquafina, SoBe, Lipton, Gatorade, AMP and Rockstar. They can be found not only in the vending machines, but also in the soda fountains at The Big Cat Bistro and the Big Cat Market.

“I’d rather drink Rockstar than Monster; and I like Pepsi much better,” freshman Michael Dalupan said.

There is a conflict of preference among the students with regards to the beverage product change. Some students agree and are happy about the new change, but others liked the old, Coca Cola products better.

“They used to have Sprite and now they have Mountain Dew and its not that great” student Ramon Villhgoz said.

This alignment of enterprises has turned out to be successful so far, and now UARSC is set to start the same process for all the food vending machines on campus.

For more information or concerns regarding the beverage switch, call 760-750- 4700, or visit their website at: www.csusm.edu/uarsc.