By Michael T. Norfolk, Features Contributor
The first time I walked into the dining hall this semester, my hopes and
expectations for our food service instantly rose. The walls had been painted with a fresh
coat of white paint, the stations had been renamed and redesigned, even the cereal
machines actually worked the way they’re supposed to. The lights were bright, both
literally and metaphorically. Ms. Regina was back, cooking the best breakfast the world
has ever seen and meanwhile, Frank was running The Grill like it was nobody’s
business. But even more pleasing was the unveiling of the self-serve station.
This newest addition was the biggest improvement of them all. Just as Von Miller
sharpened up the Bills’ defense and turned them into the undisputed top team in the
AFC, the self-service station turned the dining hall into a serious contender to become
the best dining option on campus. No longer did we have to wait in line for ten minutes
to get a bite to eat. No longer did we feel nervous, ashamed even, to ask for an extra
piece of chicken breast. No longer did we have to wait for the dining workers to return to
their station, restless from being understaffed and exhausted from working in the back over the delicious food they prepare for us. The dining hall had reached a new level of
efficiency and the students came out in droves in response, even despite the increased
prices that officially made it more cost effective to use Griff Bucks at Iggy’s every night
rather than spending nearly twice as much on the dining hall.
Then it all changed. Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, the self-service station that we
had enjoyed over the previous month was suddenly gone. I looked to my left, I looked
to my right, I looked behind me… there were at least ten people in every line. These lines
spilled over into other stations and lasted more than fifteen minutes at every option. For
someone who admittedly has little patience, this was the worst possible case scenario.
Luckily, the salad bar is still an option...until it runs out of chicken and the other non-tofu
sources of protein. I thought it was just a fluke. But then the next day it was closed, and
again on the day after that. The dining hall had reverted back to its old ways, when
there was no such thing as a “self-serve option” and this is widely viewed as a negative
thing.
I recently ate dinner at a dining hall at University at Buffalo, and it opened my
eyes to what our dining hall could be. Food was pre-made and already sitting on plates
for students to walk up and grab. There were tongs that gave students the option
between either a chicken sandwich or a burger, both available to them at the same
station. There was actually less staff on hand there then at Canisius, but they worked as
attendants for the stations rather than in the cook/gatekeeper role we have here. For the
same price as dinner at Canisius, the Buffalo students were able to get food at their own
leisure and sample sizes while enjoying the luxury of short lines. Even when I did have
to wait in line, it was for no longer than three minutes, and that was only because they
were reloading the french fries.
I won’t be naive, Buffalo is a SUNY school and therefore has more funding than
we do. I don’t know how much food they throw out on a daily basis, but I’m sure it’s
more than what our dining hall does. I’m not suggesting that we completely adapt
the SUNY Buffalo dining style but I am suggesting that there are small changes we can
make that will improve the efficiency of our dining hall. The easiest change we can
make is to bring back the self-serve station we had at the beginning of the year. I don’t know why they took it away in the first place, but it is a noticeably slower and less satisfying dining experience. The workers I talk to constantly tell me that they’re understaffed and have to run around all over the place to keep multiple stations open and cook the food. Having the self-service station is better for the students, better for the workers and creates the most satisfying dining experience Canisius has offered since I got to campus in 2019.
While this article can’t do much to get the attention of whoever is in charge of the
dining hall, the actions taken by students can. I’m not outright saying we should boycott
the dining hall, but I am saying it makes a heck of a lot more sense to go to Iggy’s than
to spend an hour in the dining hall every day because the lines are so long. If anyone
can direct me to where I can make a formal suggestion or who I should talk to, please
contact me.
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