In 2018, South Dakota State University opened Jack’s Cupboard; its on-campus food pantry ran out of Ben Reifel Hall. Within the last year, Jack’s Cupboard has been undergoing a massive rebrand to help solidify its presence on campus. 

It all started when Jack’s Cupboard reached out to Beverly Krumm, lecturer for the graphic design program, about the rebranding. 

“When they contacted me and approached me about the idea, I thought about it and realized that it really would work perfectly in my downtown revitalization project,” Krumm said. 

From there, five graphic design students took on Jack’s Cupboard to rework its image. Sydney Andrews, senior graphic design major, was the student whose logo was chosen to represent the new Jack’s Cupboard brand.

“I am very confident in my design even after some bumps in the road, and I am very excited to see it come to life! I think it represents Jack’s Cupboard and SDSU well while adding some color to make this place stand out,” Andrews said.

“One of the reasons they were wanting a rebranding, to begin with, was because of lack of identification. Students didn’t know where they [Jack’s Cupboard] were located… because it [Ben Reifel] looks like a dorm… it is a dorm,” Krumm said.

Christina Kaberline, associate director of housing & residential life, said that along with choosing a new logo, Jack’s Cupboard is also working on branding Ben Reifel. They have plans to add window coverings that will either have information about Jack’s Cupboard or a design created by Andrews. There will also be a t-stand sign designed to sit outside the hall. 

As of now, the rebranding is still underway, but the hope is to have a reopening mid-October. 

Jack’s Cupboard is open this semester under its old branding, Wednesday and Thursday, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students can stop in one or both days, show their student ID and take up to 15 items. 

“If they [students] have extra block meals and they are not going to use them, they can donate them,” said Kaberline. The cupboard then works with University Card Services to load block meals onto students’ IDs, and they can go to Larson’s Commons and get a hot meal. 

Jack’s Cupboard is always looking for food and hygiene product donations. In past years, there have been multiple events such as Pack the Pantry and Adopt the Pantry that have helped raise donation numbers. 

Kerri Pappas, SDSU graduate student and Volunteer Coordinator for Jack’s Cupboard, said she doesn’t have any events set in stone for this semester, but she is working on some that will be announced later in the semester. 

“My favorite part is definitely the students; you get to meet so many cool people, and so many people from different backgrounds, and just talking to them makes it all worth it,” Pappas said.