The opening of the new Union in January was an exciting event that students had anticipated for more than a year. Although The Reflector wanted to address the event immediately, we decided it was better to wait and see how the place worked out in order to ensure a fair editorial. The Union is certainly more spacious. It doesn’t feel as closed-in anymore. This quality of immense space is also important for future additions to the building. The meeting rooms are plentiful, so much that if any remain unused they can serve as new avenues of commerce, studying or entertainment.
Convenience has increased substantially. Students no longer have to walk up and down stairs for their purchasing. The commercial enterprises are streamlined on the first floor, ready for students to get food and then get out as soon as they please. The addition of the convenience store is positive for two primary reasons. First, it offers even more food options. Students can purchase lunch and breakfast foods and organic food. Second, the store somewhat serves as an on-campus grocery store for students who live in residence halls. The only downside of the convenience store is its higher than average prices.
The Dawg House offers a welcoming and warm environment. It contains enough room for lots of study space, and the stage lighting is terrific. This is the kind of place where one could envision a nightlife of sorts on campus.
We do miss a couple of the simpler features of the old Union. First, we were fond of the windows that allowed you to look over the Drill Field from the food court. Second, the loss of the “living room” feel of the second floor is unfortunate, though we anticipate that the new Union will feel more relaxed in the future.
Lastly, the most important issue is the food. Chick-fil-A continues its appreciated run as a mainstay on campus. Sbarro has also garnered many customers. We attribute the success of these two restaurants to brand recognition. We feel there are some food quality issues with the Aramark brands, but there are exceptions to this sentiment. For instance, for grab-and-go sushi, Miso Noodle gives students a reasonable deal, and Zoca Mexican Grill has delicious cheese dip. But in general, the products of these three establishments embody the unattractive idea of typical, institutionalized and mass-produced food.
On the other hand, we can’t complain too much about service. The exception is Bleecker Street, which seems to have unreasonably slow service at times, but the employees of every establishment have been helpful and nice thus far. And although the Aramark establishments in the Union have offered substandard food, the company has improved the food at the cafeteria greatly this semester.
One negative aspect about service involves the working hours of the restaurants. Longer hours would be a definite plus for the Union. Chick-fil-A is the only establishment that stays open until 10 p.m. on most days. We think it’s sensible to make every establishment close at the same time and keep the restaurants open past 8 p.m. After all, students live differently from other adults, and late-night food is a perfect match for our lifestyles.
So yes, we miss Wendy’s and The Great Wall being in the building. But overall, the Union has made great improvement in almost every respect. We commend the administration for giving students something worth the long wait.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Matt Watson, news editor Erin Kourkounis, sports editor Melissa Meador, entertainment editor David Breland, photo editor Bud Sorey, online editor C.J. LeMaster, managing editor Nathan Gregory and editor in chief Tyler Stewart.