This has been an issue on my mind a lot lately, but a recent experience in the Burge Marketplace has led me to share my frustration and reasoning for why students should be allowed to take food from the dining halls. It all started on a Tuesday morning around 8 AM…
I woke up, got ready for classes, and headed to Burge for a quick breakfast. After eating my omelet I decided to save my banana for later that day, and went back up to grab a muffin for my sick roommate. On my way out of the tray drop-off station, I was startled to hear a woman behind me, “Miss, you cannot take food out of here, and you need to get rid of it. Just set it here,” as she gestured to the moving tray drop-off. Now I understand I was breaking the rules, but I find it ridiculous that she made me throw away and waste the one banana and one muffin I carried. I followed her directions and left in silence but believe we should be allowed to take food out of the dining halls.
We’re paying for it.
This is a pretty obvious point. I do realize that the cost of food plans also pays employees and buys supplies, but either way a $10 meal should go a long way. Students rarely go out and buy their own food because we’re cheap, so it would be nice to know we can get a large meal from the dining halls we’re already paying for.
We all eat different amounts.
Everyone has different eating habits and limits. Some people pay the same price for one bagel as someone with three slices of pizza, a burger, french fries, pasta and two cookies. Why shouldn’t the person with a bagel (and the person with a lot of food) be able to take a cookie home for later?
We’re busy college students.
Most of the time we want to take food out of the dining food because we are too busy to come back. Many students have classes from eight to three and realistically are not always going to wake up for breakfast. By the time some students are out of class, the dining halls are already closed, and they’ll have to wait for dinner time. Evenings can also be stressful for students with more classes, student organizations and jobs. Extra food in someone’s backpack is a necessity during a busy day.
It creates a healthier eating schedule.
People are always encouraged to eat three meals a day (or even split it up into six). We also grow up being told to eat when we are hungry and listen to our bodies. Sometimes students are hungry when the dining hall is closed or flex meals aren’t being sold, so it would be nice to have some backup food then. Once again I bring up the point that we have busy schedules, so it’s unrealistic that we can go to Burge or Hillcrest three times a day to maintain a healthy eating schedule. If we were allowed to bring food out of dining halls, we wouldn’t feel so pressured to stuff our faces when we only make it to the dining hall once a day.
We all already do it anyway.
I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t snuck food out of the dining halls, so would it really be that bad to switch the rules so we can do this openly? There should at least be an option to get a to-go box at some of the food counters like many other universities. Either way, college kids are stressed and would be tamed by greater access to the food they’re already paying for.