Staff Writers Chancey Stefanos and Maren Frey take matters into their own hands upon the Diana Center Cafe’s smoothie size switch, putting together an investigation as they gather information and thoughts on the change.

It was a November morning. Staff Writer Maren Frey made her way to the Diana Center Café for her daily smoothie. As she sauntered up the building’s stairs to start her day off right with a Berry Blast, she was horrified when she saw that the smoothie bar had once again downgraded its smoothie size from 16 ounces to a measly 12 ounces. Upon further inquiry, the switch seemed to be part of a meal swipe exchange alteration, which resulted in the the change of a 16 oz smoothie with a granola bar, a hand fruit, and a bottle of Aquafina, to a new plan of a 12 oz smoothie with two eggs, a hand fruit, granola bar, and bottle of Aquafina. 

As you may remember, the smoothie bar also started this semester with the 12 oz cups, and while the increase in smoothie size was greatly celebrated by the community, it ultimately wasn’t here to stay. While some may appreciate the addition of eggs, it’s important to note these eggs are only made for breakfast, while the smoothies are made through lunch and into the afternoon. For those desiring a fruity fix after their morning classes, they’re essentially snubbed of four ounces. Additionally, just not everyone likes or can eat eggs, and if we’re being honest, who would want to spend an additional five minutes waiting for your eggs to be cooked when your already late for class? This issue, dubbed by Barnumbia community members as “SmoothieGate,” has caused some strong opinions. Staff writers (and smoothie lovers) Chancey Stefanos and Maren Frey began asking around campus to discover the communities’ feelings on this new smoothie change. 

Smoothies at Barnard are some of the most popular meal items on campus. Why you may ask? The beverages are delicious, time-efficient, and portable (the perfect snack to bring to class). Ximena Santillan (BC ‘27), said that often “two or three girls bring smoothies to my seminar of 16 people,” which is almost 20% of the class. This popularity is reflected in the chaos of the Diana line as oftentimes, the queue for them snakes all the way down to the first floor. The flavors range from “Very Green,” to “Mellow Yellow,” however the most popular and our personal favorites are “Berry Blast” and “Strawberry Banana.” 

We have also have noticed the smoothies at Diana to be slightly inconsistent. It feels like we get one bad smoothie for every two good ones. The bad smoothies are still drinkable, but the quality of the smoothie is kind of a gamble. We understand that the new method of blending in bulk is time efficient, and while we’ve learned to appreciate it, sometimes it just means an extra watery smoothie or a little too much ginger. Luckily, this seemingly will never deter Barnumbia from their smoothie addictions. 

However, the size change of the smoothie has made the beverage a little less enticing. In the past month, this downgrade has affected the student body, as Victoria Borja (BC ‘27) said that the loss of four ounces “really makes a difference because I feel the hunger,” and that she feels “less inclined to swipe for a smoothie because I’m pissed.” An anonymous (but angry) Columbia sophomore told us that the smoothie change is “just not okay,” as, “the price of a meal swipe is fixed, so we are just losing smoothie juice.” 

When we inquired about the size change with the Diana Cafe staff, we learned that it is still possible to attain a 16 ounce smoothie, but the answer is a bit disappointing for all who love to use their meal swipes (like us). Basically, you have to use points, but at least the larger smoothie is within reach? We also learned that downgrade is a result of a mass-ordering issue, in which the bigger sizes and amount of smoothies being ordered resulted in a lack of ingredients and line overflow.

So, the reality is, the standard and regular size of the measly 12 ounce smoothie is here to stay. We know it is a hard pill (or smoothie, if you’re feeling punny), to swallow, but a smaller smoothie is better than nothing? Right? 

Images via Authors

Featured Image via Barnard Dining Instagram