On Thursday Aug. 27, Director of Food Services Teddy Kyriakidis sent an email announcing that the Dining Hall will be returning to self-service next week. Along with the change, the Dining Hall will be transitioning to an AeroGlove system where customers can quickly glove one of their hands to prevent unsanitary contact with shared serving utensils.
“We have heard you,” Kyriakidis wrote in the email. “While pre-boxed meals work for some people, many of you have shared with us your preference for being able to choose different items and amounts while still enjoying variety.”
In a previous article written by the Accent for the July 30 issue, it was reported that self-service would be discontinued, which would result in fewer meal options. According to the article, more grab-and-go choices would be made available, but meals would still be charged by weight.
While the email did not mention any changes in charging by weight, it was stated that pre-packaged and grab-and-go options would remain available for those who may not feel comfortable returning to the self-service options. Additionally, customers may ask a Food Services employee to create a boxed meal for them.
Political science and journalism senior Patrick Scriven said although he feels the pre-packaged meals aren’t enough and that there should be two portion sizes available for each meal, the distribution has been efficient.
“I’m not too worried about meals being charged by weight because I usually end up paying more anyway, but I definitely think it’s unfair to those who don’t eat a lot in the cafe,” Scriven said. “That’s why I think they should give us two portion sizes to choose from.”
In the email, Kyriakidis listed safety steps that students should be mindful of when visiting the Dining Hall, such as sanitizing hands before entering the serving area and refraining from touching anything other than trays and serving utensils.
“We care about you and want to give you the best dining experience possible while also keeping everyone on campus healthy and safe,” Kyriakidis wrote. “Your comments and suggestions will continue to be welcomed.”
