The latest feature in campus technological advancement is tucked away in a corner of Smith Hall’s first floor. It sits right beside a cooler filled with Sodexo goods, and around lunch time on Monday through Friday, it attracts a crowd of curious students.

Sally is a robot that has been introduced to Marshall University this semester. She is a simple, boxy machine that has one mission: to make salads for students on campus.

Tanner Wooten, sophomore and self-proclaimed salad aficionado, said he likes the new addition, and Sally offers a variety of greens, nuts, vegetables and dressings to students to create their own salads.

“I’ve gotten 3 salads down here so far this semester. I really enjoy getting lunch from her,” he said. “There’s something here for everybody who likes salads. It’s a really cool addition, and I like that it’s in Smith Hall.”

Rose Accidentale, a Sodexo employee who works the register on the first floor of Smith during lunch hours, said she has noticed a lot of interest in this new robotic spectacle.

“A lot of kids really like her because she’s new, and she makes good salads,” she said. “She’s in high demand. If only they can keep her maintained.”

Despite her popularity thus far, Sally the salad robot has had technical problems which has made getting a salad more difficult for some students. University maintenance workers have been trying to figure out how to keep Sally working without any hiccups. Whether it’s the lettuce in the machine being too big for Sally to filter through, or the machine getting jammed up by excited, salad-hungry students, maintenance workers are still struggling to keep Sally in working order on a day to day basis.

Sophia Cassidy, a sophomore anthropology major, said she feels disappointed but she is excited to try a salad when Sally’s problems are resolved.

“I’ve wanted to get a salad here for a week now,” Cassidy said. “She looks super cool, and I’ve had friends get salads. They look really good and fresh. I hope she starts working this week because I know I’ll use her a lot.”

Hannah Graham can be contacted at [email protected].