Union Market to Close in Favor of Local Discounts: Long Lines and High Costs Cause Closure of College Cafeteria

As I am sure many of you have noticed, students are running out of money on their cafeteria cards. One student, Kristin Sydow, told me, “I have never had problems with having enough cafe money in the past. Last year, I had so much money left over in my account at the end of the semester, I stocked up on a ton of candy to give away at Christmas. But now I only have enough money to buy one meal a day at the cafe the rest of the semester. The money went so quickly, I didn’t know the cafe could cost so much!” 

Good news for all of you who are in the same boat as Kristin! Union has come up with a brand new solution to the cafe. They considered the longer lines caused by cafeteria staff serving students to comply with COVID-19 procedure, the increasing cost for those who are being served, and thus, paying for more than they can eat and students eating together in large groups without social distancing. 

Due to these factors, this past Monday the President’s Council voted to close the cafeteria for the remainder of the semester. Coopers will remain open during the afternoons and evenings, and students will be offered the option of getting any remaining balance left on their Union Market/Coopers fund fully refunded. As an alternative to Coopers, those who choose to not be refunded will get 20% discounts at various restaurants in town, including De Leon’s, The Mill, Taco Inn, Valentino’s and Village Inn. Carrie Haveman is excited for the change: “I’ve always thought that students should be able to use their ID cards at places around town, especially the Mill.” 

As of now, no specific date has been set for this change, but the plan is to close the cafeteria sometime in the coming week. The final date depends on how fast Union can confirm discounts with several more restaurants, and how long it takes for the cafeteria to use up the perishable food they currently have in stock. This is an unprecedented and exciting change for Union, and with the balance of keeping Coopers open for students without vehicles and the restaurant discounts, this should be a good solution for all involved. 

Jade Covel is a Senior

Religion Major from

Topeka, Kansas