As Xavier students arrived back to school this August, a surprise awaited them in the Caf; one which is causing a lot of controversy and stirring lunch table conversations. No matter who you talk to, every musketeer has an opinion about the new caf addition.
Is the new Caf ice cream machine a smart move? Or should students give it the “cold shoulder?”
If you ask senior Nick Geraci, the new ice cream machine offers less positives than negatives to the caf dessert experience.
“I have a love-hate relationship with the ice cream machine. The third flavor thing is amazing– the cookies and cream is phenomenal, so that’s a plus. It’s also not as icy as it was last year.”
For Nick, that’s pretty much all the positives there are.
“It’s out of order just as much as the McDonald’s ice cream machines. You also can’t swirl anymore, like what the hell? I would get a chocolate and vanilla swirl all the time last year and it was the best.
“But the biggest negative about it is that the release time is slower, so you have to release the lever when your cup is half full or else it makes a whole mess. It takes a lot of skill. It’s not a good time, not a good time at all.”
Another annoying aspect? How much noise it makes.
“It makes a little more noise than it did before, so it brings more attention to the fact that I’m filling a to-go cup with ice cream.”
But maybe we all should be observing Nick as he fills Caf to-go cups with ice cream, because he has a pretty great Caf hack:
“You take a to-go cup and get a little bit of peanut butter in it from the bagel bar. Then you put some chocolate ice cream in it and swirl it together. Then you have the perfect reese’s flavor ice cream!”
Whether you love it or hate it, it sounds like the new machine is here to stay. We’ll just have to make the most of it and create our own delicious Caf hacks.