“People don’t go to college to wait in line,” said Clark Sophomore Conner Dunham when asked about the wait times at Higgins.
After the introduction of The Table at Higgins, there has been a noticeable change in wait time when we go to eat. What started as a quick tap-in has evolved into around a twenty-minute wait. Even upon reaching the front of the line, there’s an awkward moment while you and the staff member at the desk wait for the system to load.
This inconvenience has created a lot of anxiety in Clark students. Not knowing how long the line will take causes many to resort to finding food elsewhere, such as at The Bistro.
Connor believes that the Higgins experience is comparable to last year, during which the food was good at the start of the year, and quality declined as the year went on. Connor agrees that the lines have been noticeably longer, having spent around fifteen minutes waiting to eat.
He explains that he doesn’t resort to other food options, he told us how he believes that “The wait time at The Bistro is equally as long as the wait for Higgins.”
Connor guesses that something with the system changed, but he doesn’t know if the wait time could be solved with another program. He would like to hear from The Table and the Clark administration “that they are aware of the situation and are working to fix the problem.”
Sophomore Hazel Crossman says that the wait time absolutely affects her decision to eat at Higgins.
Hazel said that she instead chooses to go to The Bistro or “Wait and eat at a less convenient time.”
She states that the line is especially long when classes get out and around more popular eating times, such as dinner.
Hazel said that she usually waits ten minutes in line and if the line hasn’t moved, she’ll leave and come back at a different time.
This, Hazel says, affects her study time since she has to “Stop studying to go eat.”
For her, it is more convenient to eat after class, however, she is now unable to do so because of the long lines.
On Mondays, Hazel has only thirty minutes to get into Higgins between her class ending and her work shift at the Goddard Library.
She said she has “Yet to get into Higgins in that thirty-minute window.” Often, during this time, the line stretches outside the University Center door into the green.
The length of the Higgins line has repeatedly forced Hazel to order from The Bistro, subsequently making her late to work or forcing her to leave in the middle of work to pick up her food.
However, she recognizes the staff is working hard to check people in as fast as possible, and that “the wait time is not a reflection of their efforts.”
A Clark senior we interviewed notes how she similarly has faced long lines at The Table at Higgins that have forced her to seek other options, such as ordering ahead at The Bistro. Having stood in line for around 10-15 minutes, she said the lines have created a lot of stress for her in planning ahead for meal times, especially between classes.
When asked if the long lines have deterred her from getting food at Higgins she says, “For sure. Not worth it.”
This is the case for many students at Clark. While she and others note how the food has improved since last year, the waits do not make up for the improvement in quality.
Similarly, we are frustrated with the long lines of The Table at Higgins. It should be a priority of the university that students have timely access to food. Clark students pay good money to have uninhibited access to food, yet time and time again we find ourselves waiting for a service that should be easily available.
The issues with the system should be addressed by the administration due to the constant pressure it places on students’ schedules. It has been over six weeks now with the current procedure in place, and there have been no noticeable improvements or attempts for improvements disclosed to Clark students.
We look forward to seeing if any changes will be made in the coming weeks.