I want to start by commending the entire staff of the Russell Sage Dining Hall. As a long-time Quad resident, they have fed me for nearly three fourths of my college career, and I’ve always been able to rely on them for a good meal.
But now it’s almost too good. This year, my friends and I have noticed a significant upswing in the quality of what was already the best dining hall on campus. A lot of that has to do with the dinners. "Tofu" Tim continues to outdo himself night after night as the specialty chef, the regular menu seems to have more variety (and flavor) than ever, and the coziness of the building contributes to a wonderful repartee between the students and staff.
And that’s where the problem lies. The student-used areas of Russell Sage Dining Hall aren’t exactly known for their expansive seating capacity. The increasing quality seems to have led to increased popularity. The hall is so packed at dinnertime that it’s often impossible to find a seat. Yesterday I went to dinner at 5:40 pm and the line to get food stretched out of the kitchen, around the salad bar, and almost to the cash register. The poor dishwashing staff couldn’t keep up with the huge influx of students.
If history repeats itself, it’s only going to get worse—as the weather gets colder, it’s been my experience that more Freshman Hill residents duck into Russell Sage for dinner because it’s a warm place that’s close, rather than extending their frozen walk from class all the way to the Commons.
While right now the long lines may be only a matter of inconvenience, there are even those occasions where I find myself literally trapped in by the mass of people trying to squeeze through the narrow walkways around the salad bar, through the kitchen, and past the dishwashing station. I consider that a safety hazard. Emergencies like kitchen fires or immediate medical needs would require quick and easy movement around the building.
The time has come for Sodexho to make a tough decision. Already in place at lunchtime is an hour starting at noon where the meal plans of students who are not residents of the Quad, North Hall, E-Complex, or BARH are not valid. Sodexho should create an hour at dinnertime with the same policy to reduce congestion. Admittedly this will decrease the total number of students that are served by Russell Sage, which means the dining hall would no longer look as successful on paper, but I trust Sodexho can look beyond the numbers and make a move with the customers’ satisfaction and best interests in mind.
The number of students in the dining hall during dinner is already at a level that greatly detracts from the dining experience and is fast approaching levels that could be dangerous to students in a possible, but hopefully unlikely, emergency. A simple rule change that reroutes customer traffic to other dining halls at busy times of the night, I believe, is the easiest and quickest solution.
