By Lark Jones
Many students this semester have had to adjust to the changes that food services such as the dining hall have made. It is important to see how these adjustments have played a role this semester. For instance, can you remember the last time you sat in a Starbucks? Or ate in a restaurant without the plexiglass? It seems foreign to think about eating in public spaces without these things. There are many recent changes that have transpired because of the current pandemic in society. Has it made eating on campus harder or has there been no troubles at all? What do these changes look like?
The Dining Commons on campus looks completely different this semester. Walking on campus one can see the plexiglass in the cafe, the takeout containers instead of plates, and more people eating outside to socially distance. After interviewing Scott Jayne, the Food Service Director at Marian University, he explained that the Dining Commons has taken away all self-service stations except for fountain beverages. They have also changed to takeaway options for to-go dining and have all menu components available at each station to safely serve guests. These changes are for the safety and benefit of everyone on campus. For some, the changes that have occurred in the Dining Commons have been a hard adjustment. Gabriella Alessandrini, a sophomore at Marian University, explained how the changes have felt for her. When she is eating with her friends, it can be very hard to hear. Even though it is a minor pain, she feels safe eating in the Dining Commons without her mask on because of the plexiglass. It is important for students to feel as safe as they can in the time of the pandemic, especially when there was much uncertainty at the beginning of the semester.
According to Scott Jayne, all the changes made follow the CDC, state, local, and university guidelines. For instance, in the Alumni Hall Food Court, there are options to get Sushi Boss on Monday through Thursday and Chic-Fil-A on Monday evenings. However, outside of that there are no guest restaurants coming to campus this fall. Knights Table was serving food that would be in the Dining Commons for all access dining. Dining Services has made these changes to make students feel comfortable and safe. If students do not want to physically walk somewhere, then there are options and alternatives for them. At both Starbucks and Subway, options such as mobile orders and mobile pay for people who don’t want to come inside are now available this semester. Both food services are popular on campus, so it is great that students have a way to safely access them.
Not all these changes have been easiest for students to adjust to. Gabriella Alessandrini explained that she does not like all the changes implemented in the Dining Commons. The amount of plastic being thrown away is hard for her to see. She said that she and her roommate will eat in the Dining Commons and bring the takeout boxes from the café to recycle. There is an understanding that precautions like takeout containers in the Dining Commons are for everyone’s safety, but they are still hard to see for some.
With the semester three months in, the Food Director at Marian has seen what works and what does not. Jayne said, “The need was no longer there to offer a secondary all access dining option in Alumni. We’ve re-introduced more opportunities to customize meals-bringing back the chance to personalize your meal while still maintaining distancing and limiting long wait times.” They will continue to make more changes to Food Services as the semester continues on, but right now there is a steady rhythm to the system in place.
Scott Jayne continued on to explain that Food Services has worked closely with Marian University to keep everyone safe. They made drastic changes for staff this semester, but everyone could adjust efficiently. That’s all it is about, the ability to keep everyone safe in the time of uncertainty.
