Jon Carey
Equinox Staff
It’s 7:30 p.m., and students are just getting out of class burdened with empty stomachs; without having the option of Flex dining they are left to scrounge for any late night food they can find.
A late-night trial to be held by the Zorn Dining Commons could change the future for students who seek late-night nourishment on campus.
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The trial would extend the dining commons hours to allow students an additional late-night meal option.
“We are working on a late night trial on the 26th and 27th of this month, but it will not include a meal plan equivalency,” said Josef Quirinale, general manager of the dining commons.
The student center is the only on-campus option for students who are looking for food after 8 p.m., offering Lloyd’s Marketplace and the Night Owl Café, both open until 11:30 p.m. on certain nights.
For students who don’t have the option of Flex or Keene Kash, the idea of extending the dining commons hours makes a lot of sense.
Students on a Flex plan can use their Flex Dollars to purchase snacks and drinks at the Bean & Bagel and Lloyd’s Marketplace. Flex may also be used to purchase meals at the dining commons, Night Owl Café, and the Hoot-n-Scoot.
Initial Flex meal plans begin with 150 Flex dollars for the 12 and 19 meal plans and 40 Flex dollars for the 5 meal plan.
However, students’ Flex money can be used up quickly if they have classes that end after 7:30 p.m. multiple nights a week.
Keene Kash is available for individuals who are not on the meal plan but who would like to eat at any of the dining locations. Keene Kash deposits can be made in any amount at the ID Office and works through student and staff ID cards.
The dining commons, which closes during the summer, operates Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
“Most nights I have class and then dance rehearsal which lasts until 10 p.m. and by that time the dining commons is closing up, Hoot-n-Scoot shut down, and I don’t have the luxury of Flex alternatives,” junior Amanda Jones said.
“I think opening up the dining commons for a couple more hours, just to allow students the chance to get something in their system, would be beneficial to all,” she said.
Quirinale said that with the dining commons already operational throughout the entire day it is certainly possible to extend into late night hours, but cost is always a question to bring up.
“Since we do have operations that are open for 16 1/2 hours a day the thought is there is enough flexibility with that schedule,” said Quirinale.
“When we explore adding hours onto what we already do, we estimate the cost of providing those extra hours of service and present it to our campus client to decide whether it can fit into the campus budget,” he said.
Whether the hours are extended is a decision that depends on multiple campus groups, in order to establish the best possible accommodations for students.
“Additional hours are not a call that dining services can make on its own because we operate on a fee basis, and those decisions are really up to the campus liaison and campus finance,” Quirinale said.
Students who do have the option of Flex still say they would like to see other accessible late night food selections on campus, because $150 can only last so long.
“Each semester I start out with $150 on my Flex account, and when that’s the only place that’s open during late night hours, you lose that money real fast,” senior Jacob Thomas said.
“I think I can speak for most students when I say that extending the dining commons hours would benefit everyone, especially with finals coming up where students are always out late doing work or just studying,” he said.
Having the trial at the end of the month will give Quirinale and the campus a better look at how the late night option will be managed and how they will operate the cost of meals per student.
“To increase hours of operation would most likely increase the cost of the meal plan unless ‘late night’ operated on purely a cash, credit, Flex, Keene Kash basis,” Quirinale said.
“If they go through with this I think it will accommodate the entire student body because students are always out late whether it’s in classes, the library studying, or the gym working out,” senior Amy Battey said.
“It can benefit any situation and give students the chance to save money and replenish after a long day of classes, I just wish they could have thought of this earlier,” she said.
As mentioned, the trial will be held at the end of April and will ultimately determine if the hours will be extended and how the campus plans to establish the cost of meals.
“We are hoping that our ‘trial’ later this month will provide an indication as to how many students would take advantage of late night and if adding it to the dining schedule is a viable option,” Quirinale said.
Jon Carey can be contacted at
jcarey@keene-equinox.com.