Perkins Student Center needs more accessible hours

It’s Saturday morning and I’m sitting in The Review office editing stories and I’ve seen one too many Oxford commas when I think I need a coffee break. I can just go to the Dunkin’ Donuts in the Scrounge, right? Wrong. It’s not open yet, and in fact the doors to enter are locked.

I’m from Massachusetts where there’s at least three Dunkin’ Donuts locations within five miles of you at all times. When I lived in Thompson Residence Hall my freshman year, I was ecstatic there was a Dunkin’ Donuts so close to me in the Scrounge. The first time I realized it was not open until 2 p.m. on the weekends I was pretty upset. This inconvenient timing has followed me through my four years here and now that I spend a good amount of my time in Perkins Student Center, it’s hitting me pretty hard. 

Not only do I work in The Review, but I also live behind Harrington Residence Hall. This means if I want my bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in the morning I have to walk all the way to Main Street and back, which could take up to a half hour. This is not just a problem for me though. Most of the freshman students live right next to Perkins and the Scrounge. Where are they supposed to get their fuel for the day, the dining hall? Students are not going to waste a meal just to grab some more coffee before the Scrounge opens. 

Another issue is prospective students seeing the Scrounge while on tour. I have seen many families end their weekend tour in Perkins and want to get lunch in the student center and look around. They quickly realize they cannot enter after testing the locked doors. Many people come to the university for a tour on the weekend when they have free time. The university is not giving itself a good impression when prospective students and families cannot taste the food at the student center they will be potentially be living near. Being able to appreciate the convenience of a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts is also a big factor. 

The most inconvenient part of this schedule is on Sunday. Most students do the majority of their school work on Sunday and walking to Main Street and back for freshmen and other students who live near East Campus takes time out of their busy days. At 2 p.m. the day is half over. Yes, many students probably just woke up two hours ago, but the sooner they get coffee and food, the better. We need that energy to start the work we’ve been putting off until Sunday and get the good grades that the university can boast about. 

When our beloved Dunkin’ Donuts finally does open, the line is insanely long and full of students chomping at the bit to get their desperately needed caffeine (or for me, the breakfast sandwich). If the place opened a little earlier I’m sure the line would not be so long and the workers would not have to run around like crazy trying to fill the needs of hung over students. 

We’re college kids and we need coffee to survive. I know the dining hall has some, but you can’t get your huge cup of Dunkin’ Donuts there. I’m paying over $20,000 a year for my education at the university. All I’m asking is that I, and other students can get a breakfast sandwich a couple hours earlier so I don’t have to walk two miles around campus.

Students are happy they have a student center that actually serves good food and has a Dunkin’ Donuts. They want to be able to use it, so let them. Also, I love the people that work there. They all seem to remember my face and greet me with a smile. If I could start my Sunday and Saturdays to them and a nice big mug of coffee, I would be much more pleasant and productive in the morning.