The construction of a brand new dining hall on Kennesaw State's campus in 2009 was a huge success. Many students were thrilled with look and taste of The Commons. With international food, the infamous americanized chinese food, pasta/salad bars, and fried chicken Thursday's what more could the students ask for? How about time to eat all of this great food.
For the past two years I have a always had the 128/semester meal plan. This allowed me to eat 8 times a week. As amazing as this sounds, it was hard to find time to use these swipes because I either got out of class so late, or went too early.
Unfortunately I'm the type of person that will demand my dollar back from the gas station worker when I prepay too much for gas, in my world every penny counts. So I took it upon myself to speak with a few people to see how they felt about the dining hall and then I brought all of the complaints to the lady in charge.
Brittany Robinson is a student-athlete at Kennesaw State University and a current meal plan holder. "We have practice in the afternoons, which makes me have to take night classes. I usually get out around 7:45, and by then the dining hall is practically closed! It's almost like what's the point?"
Sit Down Hours of Operation
The dining hall currently opens at 7:30 a.m. and even though this is relatively early, many students have morning classes starting at 8 a.m., and 30 minutes is hardly enough time for them to get a proper meal, eat in a timely manner, and get to class on time. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I think students should start their days off right by having an extra 30 minutes to enjoy their meals. This is the same issue for those who have night classes. Students like Brittany who may get out at 7:45 p.m. only have 15 minutes to run to the dining hall and eat.
When I brought this complaint to Faye Silverman, director of Auxiliary Services and Programs, she didn't seem too pleased.
"We've been hearing many complaints about the hours, and I can assure you we listen. The issue is that it simply costs too much to extend the hours for a few individuals."
Faye stated that the to-go option, known as On The Fly, is open later so students should take more advantage of it. Unfortunately there is one slight issue...
On The Fly
Even though On the Fly has longer hours, it is nowhere near an equivalent to the sit down dining experience. Students are only allowed one swipe here which equates for 5 point. Most entrees cost 2-3 points, with a drink and a side as 1 point each. This means we can go in there and get 2 slices of pizza (4 points) and 1 drink. Sound like a fair trade? Meal plans cost from to $5.95 to $8.50 per meal (check here for specific pricing) and we can only get 2 cold pieces of pizza for that price? Doesn't seem too fair to me!
Numbers
After doing some research in the KSU Factbook, I found that over 3,000 students start their classes at 8 a.m. I also found that the Auxiliary Service's largest source of revenue is indeed the food services, and most of this comes from the mandatory meal plan for incoming freshmen. This just shows how much as a student body we are relied on for funds. So in exchange for our money, all I ask is that we get a proper meal. Faye Silverman was very understanding about my concerns, and is now working towards adjusting the point system and food quality On the Fly.
Numbers
After doing some research in the KSU Factbook, I found that over 3,000 students start their classes at 8 a.m. I also found that the Auxiliary Service's largest source of revenue is indeed the food services, and most of this comes from the mandatory meal plan for incoming freshmen. This just shows how much as a student body we are relied on for funds. So in exchange for our money, all I ask is that we get a proper meal. Faye Silverman was very understanding about my concerns, and is now working towards adjusting the point system and food quality On the Fly.
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