Brandeis updated its dining hours and options this semester, deciding to open Upper Usdan on the weekend for the first time and close Lower Usdan to offset costs, among other changes. The news was met with mixed reactions as students returned to campus.
Other updates include new options in Upper Usdan and Dunkin’ Donuts being moved from the Village to Upper Usdan, effective January 2017. In response to student concerns, members of the Student Union’s senate dining committee are meeting with Brandeis Dining Services.
Last year, senators met with Sodexo about potential dining changes, but management made the final determinations. For example, students expressed a desire for more retail options available on the weekend, so the senators and dining leaders discussed the idea of keeping Upper open, according to Class of 2019 Senator Hannah Brown, last year’s chair of the Senate Dining Committee.
Sodexo management then made the decision to open Upper and the determination that Lower would have to be closed for cost reasons. Dining is very expensive, and it would cost too much to keep both Upper and Lower Usdan on the weekend, according to Brown.
Many students have raised concerns about Lower Usdan being closed on the weekend. Concerns include the potential for overcrowding and walking distance to Sherman, especially when the weather gets cold. It is also a concern for students who live far but need to eat in the allergy-friendly sections of full-service dining halls and must eat in Sherman on the weekends.
Benji Kemper ’19 says, “I live in East Quad, so I wish Lower Usdan were open on the weekend, but I guess I’ll get fit walking to Sherman.”
Brown said the dining committee works with Brandeis Dining Services to “find a middle ground that benefits everyone” and that Brandeis Dining Services is “super receptive and open to hearing student feedback… Nothing is done out of malice, and they genuinely listen to the students,” Brown said.
Other changes include a new sandwich option in Upper Usdan, Sub Connection, where students can use a meal swipe.
“I love that I can get a great sub, snacks and a drink all for a meal swipe,” Gaby Sierra ’19 said.
“I really wish more places would accept meal swipes and the amount of food we get for a meal swipe was more consistent among all the places. The burgers are sweet though,” Bryant Xiao ’19 said.
Another dining change will be that Dunkin’ Donuts will move from its location in the Village to Upper Usdan, a more convenient and central location, according to senators. It is moving because the old location was not making enough money to justify the expenses, according to Brown.
The new location will open in January 2017, but the old one will stay closed this semester. The new Dunkin’ will move to the location of Louis’ Deli location in Upper, with the deli moving to the sushi stand location and sushi being sold only in the C-store.
“When I heard that the Dunkin’ was moving to Usdan I was pretty disappointed at first. Living in Village A, I thought that I would be able to get coffee there every morning without having to walk to Einstein’s. However, I am very excited to hear that it is moving into Usdan, which is a very central place for many people to enjoy,” said Emily Koleske ’19.
After these changes were announced and students began to express dissatisfaction, three students released a survey asking students about their reactions. Student Union Director of Communications Max Byer ’19, Student Union Director of Academic Involvement Jacob Edelman ’18 and Student Union President David Herbstritt ’17 organized the survey. The survey, however, is independent and not an official Union survey.
When asked “To what extent might the proposed changes impact your dining habits?” on a 1-5 scale, 5.2 percent of students chose “1,” meaning the changes would not impact their dining habits and 51.7 percent of students chose “5,” meaning the changes would greatly impact their dining habits. When asked, “To what extent might the closing of Lower Usdan on weekends impact your dining habits?” 7 percent of students said it would not affect their dining habits and 62.8 percent of students said it would affect their dining habits. A total of 172 students responded to the survey.
“I believed these dining changes would negatively impact student life. I created this survey independently of the Student Union, to learn whether or not my belief was correct,” said Byer. “While the data only represents the views of 172 students, it is clear that many students feel these changes do not enhance the dining experience.”
The Brandeis Dining Committee and Brandeis Dining Services recently met last Thursday to discuss the student body’s reaction to the new changes. The Senate Dining Committee is a liaison between the students and Brandeis Dining Services and they work closely together to listen to students’ voices in regards to dining.
Moving forward, the dining committee and Brandeis dining said the next step is to continue to observe student dining patterns and to see how students respond once they settle more into the school year.
The Student Union posted a statement on its Facebook page stating the Senate Dining Committee had a meeting with Sodexo about reactions to the dining changes and that the Dining Committee is continuously in conversation with Sodexo regarding students’ concerns about dining.
