The future of Mixed Nuts is looking dangerously uncertain right now. If you don’t know us already, we’re a student-run co-op that sells food and student-made art at the Roos-Rohde House, in addition to hosting events like swap meets and craft fairs. I’ve been in a leadership role at Mixed Nuts for the past year, and although there have significant challenges (mostly due to administrative oversights) I have loved working here so deeply.
This semester, we have several new signers/employees taking over leadership of the co-op. I really hoped for a smooth and easy transition for them. Unfortunately, it’s looking like that won’t be the case. This summer, quietly and with no direct communication to the student body, Hampshire has introduced it’s latest budget cuts which require student workers to work no more than 7 hours per week.
This immediately concerned me. Both because I know these hour cuts will impact the entire student body, but also because I have no idea how Mixed Nuts will survive this. Last year, Mixed Nuts employed six student workers including myself who averaged 10-15 hours per week. There’s no way that six of us will be able to get that amount of labor done in seven hours each weekly.
Last week we met with student engagement to ask if this new limit was flexible, but were told that it was not. Our proposed solution is to add six new employees to make up for the hour deficit, although it’s unclear if this request will be granted. This isn’t our ideal situation, but it’s the best we can do under the circumstances. I can only hope that this request will be approved and that we will continue to operate like we have for the last 50+ years.
I love Mixed Nuts and all I want is for us to keep existing both as a store but also a resource that empowers student artists to share and sell their art and a space where people can come to connect. I wish we could do this without fighting to get our needs met as an organization.
I trust that we’ll pull ourselves out of this hole just like we’ve done in the past, but I sure wish we didn’t have to.
