About 230 students remain on campus after Lehigh’s move to remote learning due to the coronavirus, making access to food options limited, especially as the status of the pandemic continues to change.
“The first thing you have to deal with is the fact that everyone is home, and I can’t get home even if I wanted to,” said Omogolo Pikinini, ’23, who is from Botswana. “I am kind of locked out of my own country right now.”
Students originally had access to the University Center to pick up hot to-go meals for brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and dinner from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Students were expected to pick up food at those times and go back to their dormitories. However, even in the past week, that process has changed.
Dining Services announced in an email sent to students that Lower Cort was ceasing hot meal service on March 31. Now, students are receiving a bag of food containing two daily meals.
Along with the change in the type of foods being served, the email sent to students explained that the pick-up time for the bags of food would only be between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Lower Cort.
This change in menu has upset several students.
“I looked at the menu, and it was absolutely ridiculous,” said Sakshi Acharya, ’22. “It wasn’t real food. It was Pop-Tarts and Froot Loops.”
Students have now started backing out of their meal plans to get more money to buy food and groceries off campus. However, the process for students to get money back is not simple.
“At first, (Dining Services) told me no. They were like, ‘It’s your choice if you do not use your meal plan,’ and I went off,” said Victoria Collum, ’22.
After several more emails, Collum was able to get a refund on her meal plan for the remainder of the semester. She is now cooking her own meals while living on campus.
However, not all students have reacted so negatively to the change in meal plans.
“Actually, it has been pretty good for me, at least, because I have all my necessities like milk, meats and veggies,” said Princess Scott, ’20. “When I order the bagged lunches, it’s mainly for drinks they provide and the snacks.”
Lehigh has also moved residents living in dormitories with low occupancy down to Farrington Square.
While the suites in Farrington Square do have personal kitchens, access to a microwave is not guaranteed for students who currently live there. Certain food from the boxed lunches are expected to be microwaved, such as Beef-A-Roni and microwavable popcorn.
However, even with changing circumstances and a feeling of uncertainty for the future, students are not giving up hope.
“It is what it is,” Acharya said. “It is happening for a reason, and right now, we are just coping with it.”
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