Returning Macalester students this fall may have felt a distinctive absence while eating in Café Mac.

While first years may have wondered what the large mark against the wall was on the right side of the stage, those with past experience knew. The Café Mac jukebox, a gift from the class of 1999, had vanished. Campus Activities and Operations Manager Mark Bechtel helped to clear things up.

“The jukebox in Café Mac died at the end of last spring. We initially brought someone in to try and fix it, but it would have cost more to fix it than the jukebox was worth,” Bechtel explained. Thus far, this semester has been devoid of music, but Bechtel and his coworkers are pondering possible solutions.

“We have since been trying to find a replacement, and have been looking into other, more modern options. Internet streaming services like Spotify or digital jukeboxes have been brought up as options, but issues of legal rights for public playing and the cost of new equipment has delayed any action so far,” Bechtel said.

Currently, there is not a specific timetable for replacing the beloved jukebox, but the effort to install a new melody machine of some sort continues.

“We are still working to get something back into Café Mac, but we do not have a date [for] when this will be resolved,” Bechtel said.