BY KATIE LYONS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Hickey Dining Hall, St. Bonaventure University’s primary dining facility, should be open past 9 p.m.
The Hickey is the only facility on campus that serves buffet-style food and thus offers students the widest variety of food options across all on-campus dining locations. Its need to be open later extends beyond students using it for social hour.
I’ve seen Hickey’s hours change three times in three semesters.
In fall 2022, it closed at 10. In spring 2023, that time moved up to 8. For now, administrators seem to have settled on 9 as Hickey’s ideal closing time.
There is another option for getting food past 9 on campus: the Rathskeller, which mostly serves bar-style food without many of the healthier options offered in Hickey. And because the Rathskeller is not buffet style, portion sizes are predetermined. This often results in students receiving smaller quantities of food for the same amount of meal-plan credit, or swipes.
As Bonaventure’s primary late-night dining option, the Rathskeller serves food until midnight. But unlike the Hickey, students are not able to use their meal swipes at the Rathskeller during all of its hours of operation. In practice, students are only able to get food from the Rathskeller from 8 to 10, unless they’re willing to spend — gulp — real money.
Nutritionally, the Rathskeller’s offerings don’t meet the demands of Bonaventure’s physically active students. As a Division I athlete, I need to get a certain amount of protein and carbohydrates that pizza logs and nachos don’t provide. The Hickey offers more options for quick protein, like a hard-boiled egg or hummus.
I understand keeping the Hickey open for longer isn’t as simple as just keeping the doors unlocked and the lights on for an extra couple hours. There would likely be a cost associated with extending Hickey’s hours. But providing students with a reliable, nutritious, late-night dining option should be well worth the cost. Perhaps a solution like keeping just Hickey’s cold cuts and bagel stations open for an additional hour could prove a worthwhile compromise.
Regardless, the Hickey should be open later. Whether it’s a piece of grilled chicken and a side salad for the athlete, or a toasted bagel for the late-night studier, the Hickey is the only place on campus to get proper nutrition.
lyonskg22@bonaventure.edu
