Wanting seconds on dining improvements

by WSN Editorial Board

Published November 19, 2009

Earlier this week, NYU dining director Owen Moore announced plans to renovate the Weinstein Food Court. Potential changes include the removal of a wall in Upstein to clear traffic flow and the installation of new food vendors to replace Chick-fil-A and Quiznos once their contracts expire. Possible replacements include Taco Bell, Panda Express and Panera.

Although the WSN Editorial Board would be sad to see Chick-fil-A go (those sandwiches are just so good!), we applaud the university's efforts to improve Upstein. But we believe that with these changes, NYU Dining should also consider other changes to its program.

The university said on Tuesday that it was considering extending hours at dining halls. We recommend that NYU try its best to change the hours of Upstein and the Kimmel Center. It is inconvenient that Upstein closes at 3 p.m. on Friday, and the no-weekend policy at the Kimmel Market Place is frustrating — and downright heartbreaking for pasta lovers. NYU should consider opening Kimmel on the weekends, if only for limited hours.

Also, we on the board — many of us students with weekly meal plans — suggest that NYU could initiate a plan to transfer the value of leftover meal swipes at the end of the week to Declining Dollars, so that students may purchase groceries and not see their meal-plan money disintegrate to waste.

We applaud NYU's environmental efforts, especially in Hayden dining hall. All dining halls should be trayless, like Hayden. And the board thinks that many students would appreciate healthier, organic or even vegan choices at Upstein. This could promote healthier eating habits, and would be especially helpful for students who eat at Upstein because all other dining halls are closed late at night.

Improvements to the NYU dining experience should be made. But we acknowledge that NYU Dining's current efforts should be commended. To improve, it constantly seeks student feedback. And the dining halls are already excellent. They offer great food, even greater staff members, flexibility, variety and sometimes, fun. (It's not every college student who can enjoy a chocolate fountain in their dining hall at Sunday brunch.)

E-mail the editorial board at editboard@nyunews.com.