Although sophomore summer demands that students make many adjustments, there are some sacrifices that should not have to be made regardless of the size of the student body. One of these is the right to a reasonable variety of dining options.
The reduced hours at all DDS establishments provide students with few on-campus dining options past 9:00 p.m.
Certainly, Hanover area restaurants are more than willing to pick up the slack in terms of satisfying late night student cravings. And DDS rightly points out that with fewer students on campus it is not financially feasible to maintain regular hours.
However, what is inexcusable is the lack of alternatives in the food that DDS does offer. At a time when students are increasingly conscious of what they put into their bodies, it is shameful that DDS does not sufficiently cater to healthful or more diverse tastes.
When there is only the Courtyard Cafe at the Hopkins Center and Food Court grill to choose from for dinner, the lack of variety is appalling. Although these establishments offer certain healthy foods, such as freshly-cut fruit, salads and yogurt, these do not constitute a complete meal. The absence of Home Plate and limited hours at Collis, although understandable, has left a void that DDS has not adequately filled.
A viable solution would be to offer some of the Home Plate and Collis entrees at Food Court. Although DDS has had to scale back its hours of operation and the number of active employees, there is really no reason why some of the meals typically offered at these dining halls cannot be offered at Food Court.
The excessive cost argument does not work here. Suggesting that offering more healthy dishes is not cost-effective is a spurious argument because food suppliers should not worry themselves with placing a price tag on health. Offering more low-fat and low-cholesterol meals deserves a high placement on the list of DDS priorities to which other concerns should be subordinate.
