Limited dining selections and shorter dining hours for Summer term have some students going bananas, crying over spilled milk and complaining of sour grapes.
But limitations are necessary, since fewer students are on campus during the summer, thus limiting Dartmouth Dining Services' budget.
Nevertheless, some students are turning to off-campus resources for late-night food
Jason Whaley '99 said he has been eating off campus more than usual this summer. He said if more dining establishments on campus were open, such as Home Plate, he "might be able to spend $700" -- the default Declining Balance amount -- but he opted for a lower DBA this term since his options are limited.
The early closing hours at Food Court "might be a problem when I study late at night," Jennie Rosen '98 said. She added she will probably purchase food to keep in her room, so she can eat after dining halls are closed.
Jeremy Spurr '99 suggested if DDS is worried about hours, they could close in the afternoon and then stay open later at night.
Although many students said the dining hours on campus are inconvenient, "it beats the $800 non-refundable DBA" proposed by DDS last term, Megan Deluhery '99 said.
Off-campus restaurants benefit from DDS' decreased operating hours.
Everything But Anchovies co-Owner Charlie Dowd said student business is generally good over the summers, but since there are fewer students on campus it is "hard to say if they are eating more per student."
Nonetheless, "sales are good this summer," Dowd said. "They're excellent."
Another concern was the lack of variety at the open dining establishments on campus.
With Home Plate closed for the summer, "it is hard to find healthy food on campus," Kristin Will '99 said. She said there are sandwiches and salads, but no healthy entrees available.
Topside also has limited hours for the summer. It opens at 11:00 a.m. like usual, but closes at 8:00 p.m. instead of at 11:30 p.m.
John Muckle '99, a DDS student employee who worked at Home Plate during the year and now works at Topside, said he thinks Topside has fewer sales during the summer months simply because there are fewer students on campus.
But he said he thinks the new non-refundable DBA plans will cause more students to spend money at Topside so they can use all the money they paid to DDS.
DDS also has a shortage of student employees for the summer, making longer service hours an impossibility.
"We are so short-staffed that we can't even fill the hours we are operating," DDS employee Michael Bruno '99 said. "There are DDS shifts that are still unstaffed."
On weekdays, Food Court is open 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekends.
Topside is open 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day. The Collis Cafe is open 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and Courtyard Cafe at the Hopkins Center is open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the week, but it is only open from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Westside Buffet has increased hours for Summer term to accommodate summer campers. It is open for dinner from 4:45 to 7:00 every day, for breakfast on Monday through Saturday 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and for Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Lone Pine Tavern is open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Home Plate is closed all summer.
