As students return to Furman to begin another school year, the school’s Dining Hall is filling up again. Many students have noticed that it gets extremely crowded at times, especially during the 12:30 lunch hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some are asking if this food frenzy continue for the entire year.

“I’m scared I’m going to get bumped and my food will go everywhere,” said sophomore Sarah Stevens. “I don’t even go near the salad bar because it’s way too busy.”

Scott Dorriety, the manager of Dining Services at Furman, agrees that 12:30 is the busiest time of the day for students. However, it is also true that the school has a smaller freshman class than last year, and the lines aren’t as bad as they have been in the past.

Also, he said, once the freshman learn how the system works, the long, indecisive, and confusing lines will dwindle to a more normal size.

Nonetheless, the Dining Hall has taken numerous measures to deal with the rush. For example, the top section is open at lunch as well as dinner. Lunch hour goes until 2:30, which is when late lunch begins and ends around 4:20. Dinner officially opens at 4:30, which means that food is being served almost constantly from 7:30 in the morning to 8:00 at night.

Although it can present a challenge to the staff, Scott says, “We plan for that and make it as seamless as we can.”

The Dining Hall staff is always open to feedback by providing comment cards to students in order to determine how they can make their services more convenient for everyone.

They also have just joined a new smartphone app called Campus Dish this year, which tells users exactly what food items are being served each day. Students only have to download this app, choose Charles Daniel Dining Hall, and they can instantly see that day’s menu options.

Hopefully, as the semester moves along, students can use these tools and tips to make the most out of their dining experience.