Dining hall lines keep going and going

The wait for lunch can be long. And at University dining halls, lines are even longer this year. But students are not the only people who have noticed. The long waits are the result of the closures of the English House and Law School Dining Rooms for construction and an increase in the number of lunch-only meal plans being sold. Director of Hospitality Services Don Jacobs said yesterday he is concerned about the long lines and his department is attempting to find ways to alleviate the problem. Despite extension of lunch service at Stouffer Dining Commons and Hill House until 3:45 p.m., the rush for food is still greatest between 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., Jacobs said. Dining Service figures show that approximately 600 more people are eating lunch at 1920 Commons than last year. But Hill House is bearing the brunt of the increase at lunch because it is closest to the closed dining halls, Jacobs said. Eventually, Jacobs said, improvements in the PENNCard should cut in half the time it takes card readers to decipher information on the card. Currently it takes about 4 seconds. Eric Costello, a third year Law School student, said he ate in the Law School last year, but eats in Hill House now. Costello said that while he has not had to wait longer than five minutes in line for lunch, the many lines for different kinds of food inside the dining area can be confusing and make getting lunch difficult. "It's just an inconvenience," Costello said. "You wish they would figure out a different way to do it." Jacobs said he was never a huge proponent of putting up signs, but particularly at 1920 Commons, they seem to be making a difference. "If you have 1400 board scores, you don't need a sign to tell you which is salad and which is soup," Jacobs said. Lucilla Maurer, the coordinator for meal contracts and the PENNCard, said Dining Service has put notices out reminding students of the new extended hours and will soon put out ads which give diners hints to beat the crowds. Costello said he already tries to get lunch during slow periods and he goes to lunch five and 10 minutes before the hour only if his schedule allows it. "If you have any sense you know the hour is when it is going to be longest," Costello said. "I usually use my head and figure out what is the best time to go is." Other students interviewed at Hill House yesterday said they also try to schedule the times they eat so they miss the rush. Engineering freshman Stacy Rebich and Wharton PhD candidate Mike Willis both said yesterday that they have not waited more than 15 or 20 minutes for meals, but added that trying to beat the rush generally helps.

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