Canteen Prices Rise as IT Department Buys New Robot Dog

On 10 October, Mentone Manspreaders was contacted by an individual close to the inner workings of the school’s IT Department. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source made a series of bombshell allegations that our reporters say they have independently verified. Taken together, the claims raise questions about the College’s financial priorities.

Leaked photographs and recordings from the weekly Monday meetings of eLeader, the school’s technology club, reportedly show IT staff boasting about a robot dog due to be imported from Shenzhen, China. Online listings for the mechanical hound place its price above A$1,000, roughly 253,774 Zimbabwean dollars, according to the figures supplied to Manspreaders. The purchase appears to be largely for display, with no practical functionality identified in the material reviewed by the publication.

A robot dog amid rising prices

The allegations arrive amid growing student dissatisfaction with canteen prices and their contribution to the wider cost-of-living squeeze. Lipton Iced Tea in peach, mango and lemon flavours reportedly once cost $3.50; the current price is $5. For students buying drinks regularly, that extra $1.50 adds up.

Using A$1,000 as an approximate figure, listings reviewed by Manspreaders were slightly above that amount, the money could cover the $1.50 price increase on about 666 drinks. It would not fund 666 drinks in full, but it could offset the increase for hundreds of purchases. Whether that would be a better use of the money is a question students may reasonably ask.

Questions about the College’s priorities

The proposed robot dog is not the only project prompting questions about spending. Other examples raised by students include Beda Bot, the school’s AI tool, described by one critic as sounding like “a snarky teenager that never learned what humour was”, and AI-driven library events. Those initiatives have led some to ask how much the College is spending on AI services and tokens while students continue to pay more for everyday items.

Some of the same concerns have surfaced around other school decisions, including the College’s approach to student events. Read our report on the plan to phase out free snacks on MAD Day by 2030 for another look at the debate over student experience and institutional priorities.

“Whoever told the librarians about AI has some repenting to do.”

— A community advocate, as reported to Mentone Manspreaders

Community advocates argue that more structural reform is needed to ensure spending decisions reflect students’ needs. Questions remain over how the proposed purchase was approved, what practical purpose the robot dog is expected to serve, and whether other priorities were considered.

Mentone Manspreaders contacted the College for comment on the allegations and the reported purchase. At the time of publication, the College had not responded.