By Rory Dulock | Staff Writer
We all get those midnight snack cravings. And once they come, they’re impossible to ignore until you satisfy them with a sweet treat or a savory snack. I don’t know about other students, but for me, eating Penland waffles when midnight comes around always hits different. I would eat those waffles every night … if I could.
Late Night is only available from 8 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday at the Penland Crossroads. I think expanding Late Night should be a high priority for the university.
First of all, how come Late Night is only on certain days of the week? While it’s great that Late Night is offered to students four days a week, it doesn’t make sense to not offer it the rest of the week. If anything, students are more likely to stay up later on Friday nights and weekends than they are on school nights (unless they are night owls like me) — not to mention that many students’ schedules look very different on weekends due to work or other activities that don’t allow them to eat dinner until later. In theory, Friday nights and weekends could be the busiest and most beneficial times for Late Night for students.
Second of all, why is Penland the only dining hall that does Late Night? While I get that it is the biggest dining hall with the most options, at some point, students get worn out with pretty much the same choices. For more variety and a change of pace, the university should look into expanding Late Night to other dining halls. This would not only provide more options but also make Late Night more accessible to students who are closer to other dining halls.
If both of these expansions were to be put in place, some changes would have to be made in terms of staff and hours of operation. Either additional staff would need to work at night or current staff would have to work longer hours; both are options to consider. To avoid staff burnout when working late seven days of the week, there could be a new schedule for all dining halls, which could take turns doing Late Night. Whichever dining hall does Late Night one day could have more limited hours during the afternoon to give staff a break. It’s just one idea, but it could allow students to have Late Night every night of the week.
While implementing these reforms to Late Night may be difficult and take some time to figure out, it would be in the best interest of students for the university to make such accommodations for their schedules and locations, and it would ensure that students get the most out of their meal plans.
