By Brianna Wallen
News Editor
According to a 2023 Student Voice survey conducted by College Pulse and Inside Higher Ed, 37% of students think improvements should be made to campus eating facilities.
The same can be said about students on campus, as they have voiced their own opinions on Connecticut Hall.
Connecticut Hall is one of the dining areas for students, faculty and staff. The buffet style restaurant is coined as “all you care to eat” by the university.
The dining location offers a wide range of hot and cold entrees, grilled specialties, ethnic cuisines, sandwiches, delectable side dishes and bite-sized desserts.
While the dining hall’s menu has remained the same, students have taken note of the difference in perks that came with their meal plan this semester.
Last semester, students had the luxury of two free meal swipes per week for restaurants in the Adanti Student Center: Tres Habaneros, Peking Plate, The Grill, SubConnection and Dunkin’.
Psychology major Chasity Williams, a freshman, disapproved of this new change.
“I don’t like it. I think it was better last semester,” Williams said. “I miss our two free swipes in stu last year.”
Along with the removal of swipes, Connecticut Hall also discarded the option for students to use green containers to store their food. These to-go containers allowed students to take their meals outside of the dining hall.
Without meal swipes from the student center, Williams said she doesn’t understand why Connecticut Hall would not want to allow food to leave the dining hall the same way the other restaurants do.
“Stu is quick and easy. And since there isn’t the green boxes no more, you can’t rush and eat between classes no more,” Williams said.
Even though the dining hall has several meal plans available that are tailored to students’ lifestyles, many commuters believe the new meal plan changes are distasteful.
Music major Farah Hamada, a senior, said she does not eat at Connecticut Hall anymore due to the removal of guest swipes.
“I used to be able to get in for guest swipes, so now I don’t go as often because of that,” Hamada said.
Since Hamada is a commuter, she would spend time and eat at Connecticut Hall with her friends during downtime. Now, Hamada said she cannot afford that luxury.
“It used to be $12 during lunch time, and now it’s $14,” Hamada said. “And it is even more expensive during dinner.”
Due to these increases in prices, Hamada said she prefers to eat off campus because meals are cheaper.
With these changes in the meal plan, many students are confused by the lack of changes in the dining hall itself.
Communication major Alan Brockman, a junior, said that the dining hall did not do anything to improve their serving methods.
“I don’t think we should be paying 3k for a poor meal plan when food is always cold at Conn.”
Williams also said that she is disappointed with the lack of changes in their menu.
“The food in Conn is the same as last semester, just okay,” Williams said. “So, it doesn’t make sense to get rid of swipes if there’s no improvement.”
VOL. 64- ISSUE 5
