Over the course of recent weeks, there has been some openly-expressed concern from people within the Monmouth University community about the current dining hours at the dining hall on campus. Currently, the campus dining hall is open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. from Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. People have expressed concern that these hours might not be enough to properly nourish the student body across campus.
The editors were asked whether they believed the complaints were justified. One editor agreed with the complaints. They said, “I think these complaints are definitely justified since for many people the dining hall is the only source of food on campus, especially during the weekends.”
Another editor agreed with this sentiment, saying they themselves have found the current hours difficult to navigate. They said, “There were many times when I had a meal plan that I would miss the window of opportunity to eat which would leave me with no real options to feed myself.”
One editor disagreed with and said some of the complaints may be overblown. They said, “I understand the complaints, but 14 hours on weekdays is a long time. I think those hours are fine, but perhaps weekends should be a little longer than just 10 hours.”
The editors were also asked about what changes they would make to the current dining hall schedule if they could. One editor suggested a change to consistent hours throughout the week. They said, “I want the dining hall to open at 7 and close at 10 for all days of the week. Just because it’s the weekend does not mean that students don’t need to eat.”
Another editor agreed that the weekends need the most change. They said, “If it were up to me, the dining hall would open up significantly earlier on weekends, at like 7 or 8 similar to weekdays. A 10 a.m. opening time for weekends is simply not feasible.”
The editors got the chance to express their opinions on if they believe the school currently does a good job providing good nutritional options for their students. The opinions were overwhelmingly negative about the school’s job in this category. One editor said when asked if they believe the school currently does a good job, “Honestly no… that’s why I eat out everywhere and didn’t bother getting a meal plan as a commuter. I’ve heard lots of stuff from friends so I’m happy with my decision.”
Another student said, “I think the school gives students the opportunity to properly nourish themselves, but I know a lot of people don’t like the food they put out so it is hard to get that nourishment they try to give you.”
A third editor also agreed that the school could do better. They said, “No, I the food is mostly fried and I never felt like I was eating clean and healthy food.”
Overall, the consensus from the editors is that there is room for improvement in both the current operating hours of the dining hall and how good of a job the school is doing nourishing their students. This issue is one of the most prominent amongst families and parents across the university, and only time will tell if the school will listen to the feedback and make changes to its dining operations.
