February 29, 2012
Opinion By Jake Childers
WHAT SURPRISED many of the students returning for the fall and spring semesters was the closing of the cafeteria.
While Amarillo College has the right to decide what services are available, many students complained that without the cafeteria, many of them would have skipped eating during the day.
The cafeteria meant a hot meal for a decent price. So with the closing of the cafeteria as a place to get a meal, many students are given the choices to either leave the campus or use the vending machines.
The third choice is to simply miss a meal. So when it comes down to brass tacks – the pros and the cons of having the cafeteria open and serving the students versus having it closed – it’s about saving money.
Yes, it costs money and always is considered a gamble. In many ways, it would cost more to have a private restaurant chain come in.
But when the cafeteria was open, the food served and the prices charged made it a bargain for many students on a budget.
Many students who have made comments to The Ranger said they wanted the cafeteria to remain open.
To many, the cafeteria was a place to eat, study and have a chance to congregate. The best place to eat and relax at the college now is closed.
The tables remain, but the food service is gone. Having the cafeteria open and serving the students, many of whom are here both on financial aid and on a tight budget or are working people who also are on a budget, made it easier on many people on campus.
With much of the student population at or below the poverty line, the cafeteria offered great food at great prices.
That alone helped many students to be able to have a decent meal during the day.
Some of us live close by the college and can leave to go home for lunch.
During the time that the cafeteria was open, however, it gave students the rare time to be able to spend with spouses and friends.
I can honestly say that the cafeteria should be reopened to serve the student population.
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