Before the construction of the University Center, the bookstore was known as the Mesa State Bookstore, and was located in the College Center. For a while they were located in the Mav Pavilion during the teardown of the College Center and construction of the University Center. It began operations in July of 2010 after the completion of the then newly founded University Center.
The bookstore was the first to begin operations in the University Center. A year ago in 2016 they underwent a rebranding of the store, and changed its name to The Maverick Store. The purpose behind the rebranding was to better reflect all that the bookstore does and prove it goes beyond the books.
For many people the The Maverick Store at first glance can be considered the typical school bookstore that opens in the morning and closes in the afternoon. The Maverick Store is the “official bookstore and fan shop” of Colorado Mesa University. It sells the school’s merchandise which includes, but is not limited to, sports apparel, electronics and nifty souvenirs such as coffee mugs and water bottles. It can also be the one stop shop for all of a Mavericks’ basic school needs. It carries notebooks, and binders, and pencils and pens.
As the name implies it sells to students the many textbooks required of them for class. They also offer the option of charging the text books to your tuition, and a renting option on certain textbooks in order to help the students bear the cost of the books. However if you rent a book be sure to return it or else you may not be able eligible to rent the following semester.
The Maverick Store is overseen by the General Manager Tracy Broderick. Assisting her is the assistant manager, Bethany Meyer. The other managers include, the course materials manager, Ryan Stewart, and Douglas Fraizer, the department manager.
The Maverick Store also hires student workers to work in positions such as cashier and customer associates. Two student workers in specific include, Makaela Keller, who began working at the Bookstore in 2013 as a freshmen, and Cheyenne Stroschine, who has been working at the Bookstore for about a year. Keller and Stroschine both work behind the counter and around the store. Kellar claims she loves working with her coworkers and management. Stroshine similarly said she made plenty of friends while working at the bookstore and also claimed to enjoy when an orientation group of new students comes through the door to see the store.
The Maverick Store runs and operates like any other retailer. They greet customers as friendly as possible and operate efficiently all while offering a friendly and welcoming environment to all customers. However, taking a closer look, it’s the people behind the counter and the people behind the books that allows for this bookstore to be ran so smoothly. All are welcome at The Maverick Store and are strongly encouraged to stop by if ever in need of supplies, or wanting to show school spirit and maverick pride through the clothing you wear, the water bottle you drink from, or the pencil you write with.
