The Daily OrangeSA pushes for longer dining hours
By Melissa Fredericks
Posted: 3/17/09, 4:02 AM EST Section: News
The Student Association is working to extend dining hall hours in the near future, SA President Larry Seivert announced at Monday night's meeting.
Members of the Student Association began compiling information and statistics more than a year ago about the needs of students and uses of dining halls.
"It's finally coming to a point where students need resolutions," Seivert said.
Members of SA will be meeting with David George, director of Food Services, Thursday. They will present a proposal to either extend or shift the hours dining halls are open for dinner.
Shaw is the only dining hall on Main Campus that is open past 7:30 p.m. But schools like New York University, Boston University, Georgetown University, and Cornell University close their dining halls between 8 and 9 p.m.
"It's difficult for East Campus residents to make it to West Campus before (Shaw) closes," said SA assembly member Bonnie Kong.
Kong presented the data the association had acquired Monday night. She showed that 95 percent of students surveyed at Sadler Dining Center have missed a meal due to the hours of operation. Along with other findings, Kong emphasized that 68 percent thought more dining halls should be opened later.
At the meeting with George Thursday, SA members will present their proposal with three options. The first is to shift the hours from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - 8 p.m. The second is to extend the hours a half hour and have cold dinner available for the last hour and hot dinner for the earlier hours. The third option is to again extend the hours of operation a half hour and have cold dinner for the first hour and hot dinner for the later hours.
Along with discussing operation hours, the SA members will try to clarify what will happen to the Haven Dining Center once Ernie Davis Hall has been completed, Seivert said.
"The campus is moving with the needs of students," he said.
The Student Association also revised and finalized its financial vision for the year. The financial vision guides the Finance Board as it allots the budget to student organizations. SA members deliberated for more than an hour, and the revisions brought debate and a tense atmosphere.
Members were concerned that the drafted vision, although better than previous visions, was pretty good but not good enough. Some members, like Parliamentarian Robel Yemiru, were concerned it was not as clear as they had hoped.
"My financial vision is the most boiled-down version of what we are trying to say to not only the Finance Board, but to everyone on campus," Yemiru said.
Although some were still disgruntled with the wording of the financial vision, it passed. And just in time. Budget proposals are due by 6 p.m. this Wednesday, and the Financial Board will begin its hearings next week.
"It's really important that we distinguish what we want to see as an assembly," Seivert said. "And this will give the Financial Board a backing to its decisions."
mlfreder@syr.edu
Members of the Student Association began compiling information and statistics more than a year ago about the needs of students and uses of dining halls.
"It's finally coming to a point where students need resolutions," Seivert said.
Members of SA will be meeting with David George, director of Food Services, Thursday. They will present a proposal to either extend or shift the hours dining halls are open for dinner.
Shaw is the only dining hall on Main Campus that is open past 7:30 p.m. But schools like New York University, Boston University, Georgetown University, and Cornell University close their dining halls between 8 and 9 p.m.
"It's difficult for East Campus residents to make it to West Campus before (Shaw) closes," said SA assembly member Bonnie Kong.
Kong presented the data the association had acquired Monday night. She showed that 95 percent of students surveyed at Sadler Dining Center have missed a meal due to the hours of operation. Along with other findings, Kong emphasized that 68 percent thought more dining halls should be opened later.
At the meeting with George Thursday, SA members will present their proposal with three options. The first is to shift the hours from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - 8 p.m. The second is to extend the hours a half hour and have cold dinner available for the last hour and hot dinner for the earlier hours. The third option is to again extend the hours of operation a half hour and have cold dinner for the first hour and hot dinner for the later hours.
Along with discussing operation hours, the SA members will try to clarify what will happen to the Haven Dining Center once Ernie Davis Hall has been completed, Seivert said.
"The campus is moving with the needs of students," he said.
The Student Association also revised and finalized its financial vision for the year. The financial vision guides the Finance Board as it allots the budget to student organizations. SA members deliberated for more than an hour, and the revisions brought debate and a tense atmosphere.
Members were concerned that the drafted vision, although better than previous visions, was pretty good but not good enough. Some members, like Parliamentarian Robel Yemiru, were concerned it was not as clear as they had hoped.
"My financial vision is the most boiled-down version of what we are trying to say to not only the Finance Board, but to everyone on campus," Yemiru said.
Although some were still disgruntled with the wording of the financial vision, it passed. And just in time. Budget proposals are due by 6 p.m. this Wednesday, and the Financial Board will begin its hearings next week.
"It's really important that we distinguish what we want to see as an assembly," Seivert said. "And this will give the Financial Board a backing to its decisions."
mlfreder@syr.edu
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