On-campus grocery shopping may be a little easier this year thanks to the efforts of the Undergraduate Student Government, HUB-Robeson Center officials, and Barnes & Noble.

Barney's convenience store in the HUB, an extension of the Penn State Bookstore that is owned and operated by Barnes & Noble (hence the name Barney's), now allows students to make their purchases using meal points.

In the past, students could only use cash or Lion Cash in the store.

"It's something that the students always wanted, and it was pretty easy to accomplish," said Erik Ives, USG south halls senator.

The change started with student complaints about not being able to use their card in the store, which didn't accept points because it wasn't associated with University Food Services, said Stan Latta, director of Unions and Student Activities.

"Many students said 'Gee, it would be nice if Barney's would accept points,' " he said.

Those concerns, combined with USG's hope of opening the store to meal plan purchases, influenced Latta to contact David Gingher, assistant director of Food Services.

Through cooperation with Tom Bauer, general manager of the Penn State Bookstore and Barney's, the store was able to install machines for tabulating meal points as early as last Saturday, and students have been taking advantage of the system throughout the week, Gingher said.

"Already their sales have increased," he said. "Hopefully they're actually going to gain more (money) from this," he said.

The new system was installed in response to a suggestion from Ives rather than as the result of USG legislation. HUB officials realized the advantage of paying with points for students accustomed to using their meal plan for on-campus eating, Gingher said.

"We thought it was the right thing to do for the students, because we try to make the union building customer friendly," he explained.

But the new policy has come as a surprise to some students, said Barney's Supervisor Wanda Tice.

"It's a shock to them. They don't realize they can use the use the points when they come to the counter," she explained.

And though several students were pleased by the change, some didn't notice the signs posted on the register at the store, and they still paid for items with pocket money.

"I went in and bought this soda with cash," said Candace Sabol, (sophomore-forest science), who added she would use meal points the next time she visits Barney's. "I think anything that you can put on meal points is a lot easier than cash."

Tice believes students will start buying more food products once they know about the opportunity to pay with points. She added that about half of the students coming into the store are using points now.

"I want them to make me more aware of it," said T.J. Dean (sophomore-political science) as he sat in the HUB yesterday morning. "I'll use it. That's the closest place to get something to drink."