Students want dining hall hours extended
I understand that things cost money.
Almost nothing is free, and as a result, sacrifices and tough decisions need to be made.
On the small campus of Waynesburg University, which houses roughly 1,000 students in a given semester, the resources are not as readily available as at University of Pittsburgh or Penn State.
That being said, I think that food is an issue that most students would love to see improve in some degree.
Waynesburg students have the options of an all-you-can-eat style of dining in Benedum Dining Hall or they have the quicker option of the Beehive in Stover.
However, it is not the type of food-or even the quality-with which I take issue: it is the hours of operation that perturbs many students, including myself.
Frankly, the breakfast hours are really inconvenient, because, as hot breakfast is not served past 9 a.m., students must make the decision of sleeping in or eating breakfast.
The lunch hours are pretty good, especially since the Beehive opens up as a quick option.
Students don’t really complain about lunch.
Even though the Beehive is open from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., there is only a two-hour window to eat dinner at the dining hall on weekdays.
This may seem like a reasonable amount of time, but there are many on this campus who play sports, and most sports practices go from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
By the time practice is over and student-athletes can actually get to the dining hall, the chance for a nice sit-down meal is out of the question.
Nevertheless, the most disappointing schedule of eating periods is the dinner hours on the weekends.
And there are a ton of students who share this sentiment.
On the weekends, the dining hall is open for a single hour between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
If one wants to eat for “free” on the weekends, they must push aside plans to make sure they are at the dining hall for this tight window, or they have to make food in their dorm.
I’m not asking for a revamping of the dining hall schedule or for a ton of money to be spent on creating a better system.
In fact, I’m not even asking for better food. I am asking for an eating schedule, specifically for the dining hall, that better accommodates the needs of the students.
Expanded hours will obviously cost money, but some things are worth spending money on. The students are essentially customers of the university, and as customers, they should have some say in when they eat.
They should not have to spend more money on food at Domino’s or Taco Bell, or even have to spend money on food they can cook at home.
I, and many other Waynesburg students, would appreciate an increase in the dining hall’s hours of operation.