Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor
The Burton Dining Hall plans to implement new changes for the Spring 2019 semester.
In an email sent by Dining Services, it was announced that Saturday night’s serving hours have been extended. Prior to the change, the dining hall closed at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday’s. Now, the dining hall will close on Saturday’s at 7:00 p.m., which is the same time as it does the rest of the week.
Shaun Dearden, Co-Director and Operations Manager of Dining Services, explained, “Over the course of the fall semester, we received feedback from students indicating that they would like to see Saturday’s be extended. We decided that by increasing Saturday hours to 7:00 p.m., we would be providing students greater flexibility on the weekends and a consistent daily closing time.”
Freshman Hannah Paulding, who works in the dining hall, agreed, saying, “I think the extended time on Saturdays will prove to be a beneficial change. The weekends are typically busy for students and I think the added time will ensure that students get a chance to eat dinner.”
As for the times when the dining hall opens, it remains the same as last semester. According to the University of Lynchburg website, on Monday-Friday, breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the dining hall opens at 10:30 a.m. for brunch.
In addition to the serving hours extension, Dining Services is also taking steps to improve the dining hall for the years to come.
“Dining Services is working to become the first private university in Virginia to be Green Restaurant Certified. This certification will recognize our efforts regarding the use of local and sustainable products, the recycling of metal and plastic, energy efficient equipment and lighting, environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals, and eliminating the use of Styrofoam products in the Burton Dining Hall,” said Dearden.
Additionally, the University of Lynchburg is partnering with Lynchburg Grows to provide them with post-consumer waste that is acceptable for compositing. Dearden explained, “These efforts benefit our campus community and beyond by allowing us to serve fresh, high quality foods while minimizing our impact on the environment.”
Overall, Dining Services is constantly working to provide what is best for the students and the Lynchburg community.
Paulding said, “Everyone that is involved with the dining hall tries their best to please students. We have a suggestion box where students can suggest different meal ideas or give their opinions on anything that is served.”
When asked what her favorite part of working in the dining hall, Paulding said, “This sounds cliche, but definitely the people. Everyone is so kind and always willing to help if you have any questions.”
Dearden explained, “We love trying new things and looking out for ways to incorporate them into our menus. Our themed meals, like Hogwarts and our Super Bowl Tailgate event continue to be successful and enjoyable for all.”
“We never forget to have fun,” said Dearden.
