Staff Writer
It is no secret that college students get hungry on campus while attending classes, studying, or just hanging out. With this in mind, one would assume that the food services on campus fully accommodate students’ needs; however, they do not.
The Runner Café, where most hungry students go to find nourishment, is not open past 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and it is only open 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.
“I don’t get out until five, and when I get out, I’m really hungry,” said Angel Alvarez, a freshman agricultural business major.
Osvaldo Lopez, an undeclared sophomore, added that the early close of the Runner Café is “pretty inconvenient.”
Many students remain on campus past 4 p.m., so why does the Runner Café close at that time?
“It [the Runner Café] used to close at 3. We extended it,” said David Corral, the Food Service Director. Corral added that the 4 p.m. close is the “best fit for the campus” because there are other operations on campus that remain open. Other food services on campus do remain open past 4 p.m., but without the Runner Café, food choices are limited.
This begets another concern shared by some students on campus – the limited variety of food offered by CSUB. With such a minimal amount of time between classes, it is difficult for students to leave campus to get food if CSUB doesn’t offer what they desire.
“No because I don’t have very long breaks,” said Anita Pimentel, a junior English major, when asked if she leaves campus to purchase food.
“I go to McDonald’s on Stockdale or Burger King,” said Alvarez. He cited the reason as not only a lack of variety on campus, but also because the other establishments are “way cheaper.” The average burger at CSUB is around five to six dollars, and a burger at McDonald’s or Burger King averages around one to two dollars.
While it is not easy or practical for CSUB to offer everything that students desire at the cheapest price, CSUB is losing revenue in having students leave campus to purchase food that they are able to offer. “Maybe more options. Here there are not so many options,” said Lopez, when asked what CSUB could do differently to appeal to more students.
When asked what type of food he would like to see on campus, Alvarez said, “Panda Express. I love it.”
While many students feel there is a lack of variety on campus, others feel that CSUB offers the perfect amount of food choices.
“The variety is great. I really like sandwiches,” said Pimentel, as there are a multitude of locations where students can purchase a variety of sandwiches on campus.
Many students have classes all day and remain on campus to study afterward. Many hours are spent on the grounds of CSUB. The needs of these students must be fulfilled by the food services on campus. The Runner Café also needs to remain open later to make more options available to students.
If you agree that the Runner Café should be open later, or if you have a suggestion of food for CSUB to offer, be sure to participate in the quarterly surveys that are emailed to students regarding the food services on campus.
