LYDIA TURCIOS
Special to The Leader
Class was rough today, and you are heading back to your residence or to study on a nearby bench. Maybe you should grab lunch on the way back through Fenton…
Except, whoops. It’s closed. No dice.
In fact, almost all of the cafes will be shut down this semester.
The campus is lacking quite a bit of its student body and faculty. There are just not enough people on the grounds to warrant the use of all the cafes.
Moreover, eating in class is banned until further notice.
Grabbing food between classes is not viable anymore unless you have access to a distanced or private area; further reducing the use of the cafes.
Additionally — and take this with a grain of salt based on the accounts of students who would rather remain anonymous — there are not enough students to reliably work all of the cafes in the midst of this pandemic.
Many FSA workers are attending remotely or have resigned for their personal safety.
It is in everyone’s best interest not to worry about running them right now, and to place the funds elsewhere as the school continues with COVID-19 regulations.
After speaking to various members of the student body, many have not even noticed whether the cafes are in use or not, opting out of using the school facilities entirely or for other methods of getting food.
It’s no surprise that administration ended up closing them for this semester, and until the situation changes, it looks like it will be staying that way.
“Looking forward to next fall, we are going to wait and see what the modality will be for instruction,” said Darin Schulz, the executive director of FSA.
“If we are back to 100 percent in-person and we have an increase in students residing on campus, we will reassess which cafes best meet the needs of the students. Nothing is permanent and we will adapt the best we can.”
If you are daydreaming of a ham and cheese from the cafes — nostalgia is a killer.
The good news is Cafe Mason will stay open.
It will be the only functional cafe on campus until further notice, so keep that in mind when you are choosing what route to take back from class.