Guest Column by RuAnne Walworth
It is 6:45 a.m. on a wintry, cold morning. Screams and shouts arise through the hallway as my friends and I run down to be the first in line at the Marketplace (MP).
Whiffs of crispy bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs and warm biscuits waver into our senses. Smelling the food, we get hungrier and hungrier, anxious to eat and grab coffee after our all-nighter of homework and girl time. As soon as the doors open, we scramble to get food and relax as more people start to filter in and out before their classes start and daily schedules begin.
The Marketplace was, and still is, a favorite spot for my friends and I to go since we like to socialize and eat with everyone. Its convenience and size allow the majority of the students to eat, do homework, study before class and hang out.
As freshmen last year, my friends and I became very familiar with the dining services offered at NMU. We tried the Den, but alas the MP stuck with us as a favorite dining choice.
This year, as sophomores, we noticed that the MP’s hours were cut. This was a shocker for us returnees and is inconvenient for everyone who eats at the MP.
With fewer hours, more people try to cram in their eating schedule at the same time, resulting in longer lines. For lunch one day, I waited in line for 10 minutes and it had not moved an inch. So, I decided to make myself a salad. By the time I got to my seat, it was already time for me to leave. I couldn’t eat again until eight hours later, when the MP was closed.
I’m not the only one with this reoccurring predicament. Many people have night class and work so they are not able to eat dinner within the hours provided. Personally, I have a night class twice a week that ends at 8:15 p.m. and I also have work some days until 9 p.m.
This also causes problems for me, because many nights I don’t get to enjoy a dinner that I already paid for with my constant meal plan. Because of this, I generally stop at CatTrax to get a mini meal for dinner, using up a great portion of my Dining Dollars that are supposed to last me the entire fall semester.
Last year, the MP was open nearly every day until 10 p.m., which worked well for students with night classes like my friends and I. The group of us also studied late many nights and got hungry after awhile. We weren’t the only ones who took advantage of the MP’s later hours; many students came in after 8 to enjoy a late dinner or evening snack. The fact that the Marketplace stayed open longer allowed us to use our Dining Dollars as they were meant to be used, for treats instead of missed meals.
Most students are wondering why the MP hours were cut short this year, especially with the price increase in the meal plans. Personally,
I purchased a constant meal plan this year as well as my freshman year. This year my meal plan cost $2032; $38 more than last year. We have now paid $38 for the same food and dining services, and yet are provided with fewer hours to utilize our meal plan.
The reduced hours are not the only change this year to NMU’s dining services. Students may have also noticed that there are two new restaurants, Temaki and Tea/Smoothie King and Melted, available on or near campus.
One wonders if the increase in our meal plan may have contributed to the construction of these establishments and the payment of their employees.
Regardless of the circumstances for the boost in meal plan costs, the main reason for the students concern is ultimately the decrease of MP hours and where they are going to eat when the MP is closed.
