Once again, Keene State students find themselves in a pickle as on-campus dining hours have changed.
On top of the changes to student meal plans, now the Zorn Dining Commons (DC) is opening later on weekends and staying open later during weekdays. Lloyd’s Marketplace, Hoot n’ Scoot are all closing earlier than previous semesters.
When students have rigorous schedules, options like Lloyd’s are most convenient as students can grab something quick before work, practice or class. Lots of student-athletes are getting out of practice right around the time that Lloyd’s now closes.
The Equinox believes it is unfair to cut the hours of these quick dining options that students can rely on. Students cannot be expected to change their schedule to adapt to these new dining hours; it simply is not feasible.
For those who wake up before 10:30 a.m. on weekends, unfortunately, you are out of breakfast options on campus. Rather than students getting food with their meal plans, they are now left to spend their money elsewhere, off-campus. Instead of forcing students to find other food options, KSC Dining should take their consumers into consideration and choose hours that suit their needs. We have seen survey after survey about on-campus food options, yet there only seem to be empty promises made with no meaningful improvements.
The Equinox feels as though students’ opinions are being overlooked in order to save the college a few bucks. We recognize that with the recent budget cuts, it can seem an impossible task to reallocate funds. However, eating and nutrition is a vital part of the college experience. The health of students should be prioritized instead of food being the first thing up on the chopping block.
By putting students in a position where they are forced to find meals off-campus, Keene State is only losing revenue, on top of the money the University System of New Hampshire has already lost due to budget cuts. By prioritizing to-go style meals that we know the students enjoy, the school can save money as those on-campus options require less money to be put toward labor costs.
It is evident that the students prefer Lloyd’s and Hoot n’ Scoot over the DC because of reliability and consistency. Why is the school using its already limited funding to promote the DC instead of the places students actually enjoy?
A potential solution could be to utilize the DC for quick food options, renting out booths to local restaurants instead of only having a special on a random weekday when students are most likely in classes. Chartwells still has work to do to repair the DC’s brand and trust among students, given previous lackluster scores on its health inspections. What students need is food they can rely on, food that is consistent. If we know what students prefer, why not make their experience at Keene more enjoyable?
The Equinox strongly believes that in order for students to be successful, they cannot be stressed over whether or not they’ll have time to eat, or if that food will be satisfying.
