Now that enough time has passed and the coffee grounds have settled, let us reflect upon what UVic administration said about kicking out a muchB次元官网网址搇oved campus coffee shop and installing a Starbucks in its place with no consultation.

Bye Finnerty Express, Salt Spring Coffee and EsquimaltB次元官网网址檚 Lone Tree baked goods. Bye local business and two local products.

UVic claims that visitors regularly come to campus and then take time to formally express their desire to have nationally branded coffee on UVicB次元官网网址檚 campus.

To paraphrase Jim Forbes, Director of UVic Campus Services, guests on campus regularly request a nationallyB次元官网网址揵randed coffee.

UVic administration asks us to imagine this scene: Visitors come to UVic, and even though there are a number of great places to have coffee on campus, these visitors contact administration and ask for nationallyB次元官网网址揵randed coffee.

In an official statement, Forbes shines a glowing light the action: B次元官网网址淭he new licensed store has the brand power to support and contribute to a more vibrant campus environment.B次元官网网址�

Really? So, Finnerty Express is apparently not vibrant enough; nor does it contribute enough.

Clearly something else is going on.

Can Forbes produce these regular, numerous requests for nationallyB次元官网网址揵randed coffee?

Is there reason enough to sense something a little dubious about the claims and reasoning. The rhetoric is painful.

What does the President of UVic say? The silence, as they say, is deafening, given that one of the Jamie CasselB次元官网网址檚 publicly expressed mantras is to engage locally.

Except when it comes to coffee, it seems.

R. A. Henderson

Victoria