With the new changes to the Elbow Room and the Student Center, many students wonder whether it was worth the money and wait. Well, it all depends on how much worth, you, the student, are willing to put into it.

Gone are the quick, greasy and delicious meals of Frantone’s, Chicago Harv’s and Oh No Tokyo!

Now, for about the same price, you get healthier food options. If you absolutely fear change, then Taco Bell is still there next to the new food stations.

The new food places are a breath of fresh air, so to speak, since there are two Frantone’s on campus. Now, students have options between something other than a burger or pizza. Sometimes, one has to think about how many students eat there begrudgingly and out of desperation before the start of the next class.

Within walking distance of the Cerritos campus are a sea of fast-food burger places and quick convenient stores. Let’s face it folks, there aren’t a lot of options for us healthy students.

As far as the Student Center goes, maybe instead of Taco Bell, there could have been a Subway or a Quiznos or something other than tacos and burritos.

The obvious benefits to these changes is that a lot of students will be happy about eating out at school and feeling awful for betraying their diet or messing up their carbohydrate count.

Again, it all really comes down to how much value you’re willing to put into the new changes here at Cerritos College.

Take for example the Elbow Room.

At first glance it may not look all that different, but it actually looks neater, welcoming and more modern. Of course, it would have been better to show off its new look in a the recently opened Liberal Arts building.

Just as well, with only two places on campus to get a quick snack and the ever-so-important Scantron sheet, the Elbow Room is really an underrated resource if ever there was one. Its stock has changed and it’s also serving healthier snack options, in addition to the familiar junk food snacks.

It makes it more convenient for students who don’t want to walk down the flight of stairs of the Social Science building to go across campus to the bookstore and back, so that they can buy a Scantron for an early morning pop quiz.

It would have been great to have the Elbow Room turn into this cool, hip cyber cafe; a place where students can gather ‘round, sip coffee, contemplate the mysteries of the universe and pretend to write a screenplay.

As far as improving the quality of Cerritos College students, we’re heading in the right direction. Most of the readers will probably be gone by the time books are free and everyone gets the classes they want when they want them.

Oh, and you can’t forget a trans fat-free sandwich and jet packs.

As students, we’ve made a lot of progress improving the quality of our lives here, there’s always more we can do and a lot more changes we can implement.

In terms of money, the changes that came with the expenditure was worth it. Students have a greater selection of choice for food – in conjunction with the burger places near the campus – the Elbow Room’s new look invites more students to come in and buy necessities.

In a nutshell, the changes, for students here and now, are truly worth it. But only if you’re willing to take advantage of them.