Class, Snacks, and Entrepreneurship: An Afternoon in Olin Hall

Senior Journalist

John Crawford

A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.

September 25, 2026

Two students stroll by a line of vending machines

During an afternoon filled with studying and going to class, a line of vending machines at Babson’s Olin Hall, the home of the College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, offer a welcome snack break.

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Roberta Cantu MBA’28 needs to make a decision. Standing before the vending machines on the ground floor of Babson College’s Olin Hall, she’s eyeing the sweets and snacks behind the glass.

It’s a Tuesday, around the 3 o’clock hour, smack in the middle of a long September afternoon, the new school year limbering up and looking to hit its stride. Cantu is about to go to her accounting class and requires a little boost. Having already drunk two coffees, though, she doesn’t want more caffeine.

Ultimately, she lands on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, but as she stares at the tasty chocolate goodness in her hand, she’s doubting her decision. “I’m not sure if I’m going to eat this,” she says. “I wanted something healthier.”

Class is calling, so Cantu must head off. Accounting is a new subject for her. She’s only just begun the MBA program at Babson. “I am excited to be here,” she says.

The home of Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Olin Hall is filled with a hum of activity on this Tuesday afternoon, the atmosphere easy but purposeful. People are studying, talking, and going to class. Many walk by the row of vending machines, which are located just past the café, on the way to the bathrooms down the hall. The machines glow, their touch screens intone, “Hello friend.”

Some stroll by the machines without a glance. Others peek, maybe even pause, tempted by the options and the calories, before moving on.

A few stop. There may be work to do and classes to attend, but life as a business student means that, every once in a while, you’re going to need a snack.

Protein Shakes, Wraps, and Sushi

To attend Babson, to find himself by the vending machines on this Tuesday afternoon, Victor Guely had to cross an ocean. He’s an exchange student from London who’s currently attending a master’s program at the French business school, HEC Paris.

Olin Hall — The touch screens of the vending machines extend greetings to the students passing by.

He came to Babson because he was intrigued by entrepreneurship and wanted to study it. “This is the place to do it,” he says.

Before going to his next class, Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, Guely stands before the vending machines. They offer a giddy assortment of choices: sports drinks, sparkling water, and soda; sushi, wraps, and fruit; candy, chips, and Pop-Tarts.

Guely wants “something rather healthy” and grabs a protein shake. Santiago Gorbea MBA’27, on the other hand, isn’t sure what he wants. He has just arrived on campus and is going to the same Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition class. He needs to eat. “This is lunch,” he says. “It’s a little late.”

Gorbea narrows down his choices to a chicken Caesar wrap or Italian wrap and eventually decides on the latter. “Maybe it’s too much,” he wonders, though then again, sustenance is a necessity. He’ll be at Olin until 9. “It’s a long night,” Gorbea says. “That’s why I need this.”

The Afternoon Drifts Along

As the afternoon drifts along, the snack seekers continue to make their choices. Ben Holland ’27 stands before the vending machines, having just finished class. He’s ready to start moving and is hankering for a bite or two. “Usually, I like to run after class,” he says, “so I want something with carbs in it.”

He ponders a wrap (too heavy), chips (too junky), or sushi topped with a spicy sauce (too, uh, much). He finally picks a sportier meal: a Clif energy bar and a Gatorade.

Holland may have decided against the sushi, but it’s actually one of the most popular items in the vending machines, says Gregory Goyau, who’s busy this Tuesday afternoon restocking the nibbles to be found there. “The sushi is made fresh every day,” he says.

On a break from class, Edgar Teran ’27 takes three trips to the vending machines. At first, he buys Takis, a Mexican brand of rolled tortilla chips. The bag is a flavor called Fuego, a mix of lime and hot chili pepper. “I love Takis, but they were too spicy,” he says. Next, he grabs a bag of Cheetos. Then, after a beat, he’s back one final time. “Now, I’m going to get dessert,” he says.

Occasionally, as students come and go, as snacks are snatched and savored, a door on the vending machines doesn’t close properly. An alarm sounds. Mandy Cintron, working at the nearby café, hustles over. “I hear that sound in my sleep,” she says.