The dining hall hours at Brenau University has left students with continuous problems such as skipping meals, being late to class, and the inability to fulfill the right amount of nutrition.
As a student at Brenau University, I have been subject to the unaccommodating nature of the dining hall hours, therefore I have a bias. However, it does not disregard all the content stated in the article or supporting information from other students.
The Hopkins Dining Hall is open seven days a week for three different meals during the following times: 7:00-9:00a.m., 11:00a.m.-2:00p.m., and 5:00-7:30p.m. However, the dining hall hours and the number of meals are different on the weekends. Dinner is from 5:00-7:00p.m. on Fridays and the only two meals offered on Saturdays and Sundays are brunch from 11:00a.m. to 1:30p.m. and dinner from 5:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.
Many students are missing out on their three meals a day because of the dining hall’s lack of availability. There are some students who have classes during lunch time, some students who do not have enough time to eat because of athletics, and other students who simply think getting up around 7a.m. is too early to try to make breakfast. Alexandria Anderson, a sophomore at Brenau University said, “I have practice around 6:00p.m. every day and I don’t get out till 8:00p.m. At 5 o’clock, I have to get ready for practice and I can’t eat before practice or I will vomit during practice. So, what other solution do I have than eating crackers from the tearoom every night?”
On the other hand, there are students who have classes during the time that is scheduled for lunch. Nonetheless, Brenau does offer to-go boxes at every meal which we appreciate as students, but this does not work or cater to everyone. Bayley Blackmon, a sophomore at Brenau University said, “If I go into the dining hall and there’s no line during lunch, I may have a few minutes to grab a to-go box between classes. Sometimes, I make it to class on time depending on how fast I run. Most days that’s not really fast because I’m tired from 6 a.m. practice and low on energy because I have missed breakfast.”
However, there are students who try to make it to breakfast daily, but sometimes when you stay up to 3:00 a.m. doing homework it’s difficult to wake up at 7:00 a.m. and go to breakfast before an 8:0 0a.m. class. Students try to make it to breakfast, but the hours are not flexible enough for our schedules.
Destiny Hale-Jennings, a freshman at Brenau University said, “I have to eat breakfast every morning to be able to function throughout my day and I can’t grab breakfast after my 8a.m. because the dining hall is already closed. So, I try to stop by the tearoom which is always super packed around 9:20a.m. and then I end up late for my next class.”
On the other hand, students appreciate that the dining hall stays open on the weekends and the available brunch hours. Students believe that it is easier to make it to the dining hall on the weekends rather than during the week.
Students think the only way to solve these problems is to extend the dining hall hours. We do understand that the workers in the dining hall and the chefs need to go home, but we’re just asking for a compromise.
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