CSUSM is undergoing some dining changes for next fall, A new dining hall will be added to the first floor of The QUAD just in time for the 2020 school year. 

The new dining hall reportedly will be 8,000 square feet and have indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 250 people and will bring more food options for students to choose from. 

According to the CSUSM Corporation website, the new dining hall will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and is open to students, faculty, staff and guests. This is perfect for students who live on campus and worry about buying groceries and cooking their own food. The dining hall is also beneficial  for students because it will cater to different dietary needs.

The new dining hall will require students who live in the dorms to purchase individual meal plans. The prices will vary from $6.37 to $10.37 (per meal), based on the meal plan chosen. I think this is a great option for students who struggle with buying groceries every week. Especially international or first year students who do not have a car to travel to the nearest store.

The meal plan option is not limited to just the students who live on campus. Commuter students are able to sign up for the meal plan as well. I don’t know about you but eating Panda Express at least once a week gets boring quick. When there are more options to choose from, students won’t have to opt for the same food every day. Students can also opt for a more economical option.

Not only will the new dining hall provide new food options for students, it will also create more jobs for students. Since there more than half of the employees at the USU are students, I think this a great opportunity for students who want an on-campus job.

Although I may think the construction of the new dining hall is a great idea and practical for students who dorm,there are students who feel indifferent about the new addition to our campus.

First year psychology student Angelica Ochoa is one of those students who feels indifferent about the new dining hall. Ochoa is concerned about the meal plans being required for students who live on-campus. “Adding more money to [what I have to] spend already,” Ochoa states “if it’s forced, I might not want to dorm.” This is valid point on why the new dining hall could be a bad idea. Many students already take out loans to pay their room and board fees. Adding the requirement to purchase meal plans can add stress to students who already  pay a lot for on-campus housing.

Ochoa adds how she does not know how she’ll feel about the new dining hall until she sees it when it opens next fall. “For people who don’t know how to cook it will be good for them, but we need healthy and good food options,” states Ochoa.

The new dining hall can be practical for students who direly need it and prefer opting to purchase the meal plan. Although, it can also become a problem for apathetic students that are required to purchase them.