It is no secret that the Dining Hall has delicious food and the kindest staff around, but did you know they also have great prices? Starting in the fall semester of 2021, the cafeteria offers commuter students lunch for the convenient price of $2 every Friday. From 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., commuter students can enjoy everything from endless burgers and smiley fries to the two salad bars.
In previous semesters $2 lunches have been offered to commuters but occurred on randomly selected Fridays once a month. Though it has been sporadic, the tradition of treating commuters to a discounted lunch has been around for quite some time.
According to Bruce Emmerson, Director of the Dining Hall, “Several years ago the dining hall staff decided on Fridays to give commuter students a discount from the typical lunch price of $7.50 to $4.25. This continued for quite some time until the CAC offered to cover the cost of $2.25 per commuter meal to reduce the cost so students only have to pay $2 like it is today.”
So many students, past and present, have benefitted from the kindness of the dining hall and the CAC over the years. When asked about this year’s shift of covering cost for commuters every Friday, Tyler Goss, Assistant Director of Student Programs, said, “When it came to funding for this year, CAC thought about it more in terms of we wanted to prioritize creating spaces for students to eat together again, especially commuters. CAC has the same overall budget as previous years so technically the funding is the same, but with COVID restricting how we ate together last year, it seemed important to put more emphasis on shared meals this year. Plus, who doesn’t love a buffet of food for $2?”
Getting to share a meal with peers means a lot to commuter students, like first-year Alexis Rowe, who said that she “really look[s] forward to commuter lunch throughout the week because it is a time that brings people together in a place of good fellowship after a busy week. I get to connect with my peers on campus which is nice since I am a commuter and the chicken wraps are also my favorite.”
Some students enjoy the community aspect while others enjoy the convenience of going to lunch, like senior Tasia Hoover, who commented that she “appreciates the to-go option and it’s great for those Fridays when you don’t have time to sit and eat.”
Other students, such as senior Hannah York appreciate the reduced price. “Commuter Lunch is awesome! You can’t beat $2 while being on a college budget.” The $2 lunch is certainly popular among students and, according to Bruce Emmerson, has increased the average lunch crowd “by roughly over 100 students.”
