Paws & Go will be losing one of its longtime cashiers this weekend, when Merrisa Robinson finishes her last shift. More than that, however, many students will be saying goodbye to a friend, confidant and vibrant personality. Robinson has big dreams in mind for the future, including a possible music career, but for the moment she will be trading in her three years in Washington University Dining Services for a job at the local General Motors facility.

Cherry Tree witnessed a complete change in its selections as the fall semester began, with new sandwiches like the turkey brie & apricot mustard panini replacing old favorites like the sweet and smokey turkey sandwich. Paws & Go also adjusted some of its offerings when Dining Services added a f’real milkshake machine at the beginning of the year, which quickly surpassed sales expectations.

I scream, you scream, Washington University students screamed for ice cream—and Dining Services listened. After a remarkable amount of student feedback, Dining Services decided to bring back the well-loved Haagen-Dazs ice cream products to Paws & Go and the Village’s Millbrook Market.

I returned to school this semester, aching to spend my extra meal plan points. I was prepared to devour all of the food that WashU offers us. Unfortunately, as I stepped into Bear’s Den, something seemed amiss. The food was not as I had remembered it. This semester has brought small, but impactful changes to Bear’s Den and Paws and Go.

Students accustomed to buying bulk quantities of groceries at Paws & Go might have noticed something missing in the past week. Tote Green, a reusable bag initiative featured at Clinton Global Initiative University last year, was started around 10 months ago, culminating in what started last week: a ban on plastic bags at Paws & Go.