Teens infringe on students’ lunch time
If you wander to the College Union in search of some lunch during the week, brace yourself for quite the unexpected sight in a college cafeteria: teenagers.
We’re not talking about just one or two. We’re talking about dozens of them, sporting their band T-shirts and Justin Bieber bangs, talking obnoxiously loud amongst one another as they salivate over steaming French fries and onion rings.
These are Upward Bound students who participate in summer activities here at OCCC to help them get a feel of the college experience a few years in advance.
Although this is a wonderful idea, it is severely flawed when it comes time to chow down.
If you’re trying to grab a quick snack or scarf down some lunch before rushing to class or work, you’d be better off driving across the street to Braum’s or Burger King if you walk into the union and see the dreaded gaggle of teens.
When the kids are in line, it usually goes well out the door, and you could very well be stuck waiting 15 minutes to get your corn dog — that is, if there are any left in the first place.
Even the healthier lunch fare isn’t safe. In fact, because sandwiches and salads require a cafeteria worker to prepare them fresh, you might be looking at a wait time upwards of 20 minutes.
This is absurdity. College students pay thousands of dollars to attend school here, not to be late to class or go without lunch because of a bunch of kids who have barely hit puberty.
The solution is a simple one: Carson’s could easily open up an express lane of sorts in the cafeteria, allowing real students and college employees to skip ahead of the kids so they can get back to work or studies.
However, this writer doesn’t see that happening anytime soon.
The college views these kids as walking moneybags. They are prospective students, after all.
Why would they cater to those of us who have already paid good money to be here?