School Store Back in Business

Student monitors staff the store during their lunch or free periods. Photo: Jacob Loshinsky

By JACOB LOSHINSKY and MIA BELKIN

After a two year long hiatus, the school store is finally back in business! With the help of the student government and Principal Robert Quinlan, Room 153 opened up shop again on January 6, providing students with a variety of snacks for $2 each, from Pop Tarts to popcorn, as well as dandy Midwood merch, all available between periods 2-7.

Last year, as students returned from remote learning, they found that the school store was being used as a depot for Covid test kits, masks, and other PPE. It was a big loss.

“When I was a freshman, I would always go to the store during lunch, especially since everything was a dollar back then,” senior Muhammad Rizwan said. “I’m surprised it wasn't open last year.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Howie the Hornet was posted on social media. Photo: @therealmidwoodhs (Instagram)

Student government was determined to get the store back open as soon as possible. 

“We started talking about opening up the school store right when we got back from the pandemic," said Elise Badmaev ’24, the school's executive secretary. “It was a year-long project.” 

The addition of Dr. Quinlan really helped speed up the process. 

“Dr. Quinlan was enthusiastic about opening the school store. He really wanted to make more students excited and happy about school,” Badmaev said. 

However, it was not an easy process. There were many obstacles to overcome.

“First, in September we didn't have the stock,” Dr. Quinlan said. “Second, we didn't have anyone to manage it. Third, school had just started and we were just getting back into the groove of things.”

Other faculty members played important roles. Coordinator of Student Affairs Lawrence Kolokin and Assistant Principal of Organization Alan Stack order the merch and products. Mrs. Lorraine Espinal, the school treasurer, deals with the finances. Mrs. Liliana Logozzo runs the store on a day-to-day basis. And it couldn't have been done without the students who help as cashiers and store clerks, Dr. Quinlan said.

The grand reopening excited many students. 

“I've never had anything like [a school store] before so I think it's a cool addition,” sophomore Ciara Holland said. 

“I have lunch second period, so the store lets me buy something if I’m getting hungry later in the day,” sophomore Eugene Babushkin said. 

The reopening is not just a win for the students, but a win for the school as a whole. It’s a final step in transitioning out of the “Covid Era.” 

“Even though Covid still exists, I think trying to get back to some sort of normalcy is a nice thing,” Dr. Quinlan said. “I'm just so happy that Howie the Hornet was able to make it for the opening. I look forward to having a buzzing store in the hive.”