The dining halls reducing
their hours this semester has
been very frustrating. Many
students are really busy with
a day full of classes and then
having to attend extracurricular
activities and meetings. These
kinds of days make you feel
like you are constantly in a
rush to get everything done.
The last thing you need to
worry about is getting to the
dining hall in time to make
sure you can eat.
Being on an athletic team
myself, my schedule is jam
packed with classes, practice
and lifting sessions. There have
been many times when my
teammates and I have gotten
out of three hours of hard
physical work and have had to
run on tired legs to the dining
halls because they close so
early.
Similarly, I have had to
rearrange my plans many times
because by the time I would
finish up my work, it would
be too late to get to the dining
hall.
The reduced hours are
an inconvenience for many
student athletes because of
time restraints, but it is also
difficult for those who do not
have a car on campus. This is
especially true for most of the
freshman here because they
are not allowed to bring their
cars to school. Those who
are restricted to campus find
themselves in a bind if they
cannot make it to the dining
hall before 9pm on weekdays
and 8pm on weekends. They
are only given the Anchor
Express as a viable option for
nutrition at this point.
I am grateful for the swipe at
night option inside the Anchor
Express because at least it offers
students an outlet on campus
to get food after the dining
halls close. Although options
are limited there, for those who
do not have a car on campus
to help them feed themselves
when it is past 9 p.m. it gives
them someplace to turn to.
Another issue with the
dining hall reducing their
hours is it severely limits the
options for those with food
restrictions. At each dining
hall, there are areas that are
dedicated to serving those with
certain allergies or serious food
restrictions. However, closing
early takes this choice away
and forces these students to
possibly go without food they
can eat, as it is difficult to find
accommodations at other places.
With all the busyness and
chaos that college ensues,
finding food should not be
an added stressor. When
Grotto had late hours last year,
students had more freedom in
their schedules to move events
and activities around and
decide when they wanted to go
eat. Instead, students have to
comply to what the dining hall
schedules look like and work
their schedule around that.