Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.
Every day, university students have classes, clubs, internships and other time commitments that take up most of their 24 hours. Their few spare moments of free time are most likely used for resting and eating, and can even be pushed to inconvenient times. Now, imagine yourself as a university student with plates of food, searching for where to sit down and comfortably enjoy your lunch.
Such is the typical day of many University of Maryland students who visit the dining halls on campus. One of the main problems full-time university students who have one of the four resident dining plans experience is the lack of comfortable seating availability and inflexible hours.
As a freshman at this university, I have observed very little space to eat during peak dining hours. Stray open seats are usually occupied by other people and their belongings.
To rectify this ongoing problem, this university should support its students by extending the dining halls’ hours of operation and keep the same opening and closing times for all dining halls every day of the week.
Currently, 251 North Dining Hall closes at 7 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays, and is the only dining hall that closes early for some days of the week. Yahentamitsi and South Campus dining halls open and close at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and while on Saturdays and Sundays they open at 10 a.m., they still end at the same time.
While extending operating hours may not be feasible for current dining hall employees, one solution would be to hire students who are not as busy to take on early morning or evening shifts, distributing the work and responsibilities to people who are willing to work during those hours and can contribute to a positive environment for dining hall users.
Some students are up as early as 4 a.m., so having some dining halls open at 8 a.m. might be late for their first meal. Extending closing times from 7 p.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. and opening every dining hall earlier, such as around 6 a.m, will allow students to eat in a less crowded environment because they will have more time and freedom during the less busy dining hours.
As a student living near 251 North, I find it convenient to get a quick meal after 8 p.m., as do many other students living close by. But when this dining hall closes at 7 p.m. during the end of the week, it makes it inconvenient for me to go. While most people would either go to Yahentamitsi or South Campus on these days, I strongly believe that setting a standard closing time for all the dining halls will save time in our busy schedules.
This university, with all its resources, has the capacity to implement this solution so students can decrease stress by more easily finding a place to sit and freeing their schedules with more convenient meal times. This would not only alleviate overcrowding but also create a more comfortable, efficient and supportive environment for students to relax, refuel and recharge.
Opening the dining halls earlier will help students accustomed to early morning routines maintain their schedules and not worry about when they will have their next meal. Hiring part-time student employees will offer job opportunities that benefit students who want to earn additional money as well as dining hall employees, many of whom have families to provide for and cannot work outside normal business hours. This university has the power to enhance student and employee well-being and contribute to a more positive and productive campus experience for dining plan users and workers.
Rishab Sai is a freshman public health practice major. He can be reached at rsai1@terpmail.umd.edu.
