MISSOULA — About a dozen University of Montana students filled the lobby of President Seth Bodnar’s office on Tuesday morning with a half-inch thick stack of papers filled with more than 700 student signatures in opposition to the new Starbucks slated to come to campus.

The national coffee chain was the only bidder for the contract, which UM awarded in May, according to the state’s notice of intent to award the contract.

The students told Lee Newspapers they wanted to see a local vendor get the contract instead, but the wording of UM’s Request for Proposal released in April specified it was seeking a national chain to fill the spot, according to the document.

A local coffee vendor said they didn’t consider submitting a proposal because UM indicated it was specifically seeking a national

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