Ellie Park, Contributing Photographer

In a Wednesday evening email from Yale Hospitality, students and administrators were alerted of various limitations to dining services at the Schwarzman Center that will take effect next week. 

The Bow-Wow, Elm Cafe and Commons will be closed from Wednesday, Nov. 2 to Friday, Nov. 4. In the meantime, the University has introduced several temporary accommodations to compensate for these changes. 

Among these accommodations are a grab-and-go lunch option at Cross Campus on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. as well as expanded lunch dining hours at three residential colleges. Grace Hopper will open early, at 11 a.m., while Davenport and Trumbull will close late, at 3:30 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., students can also use their lunch swipes at the Yale Science Building’s Steep Cafe, or use their dining points, credit cards and Eli Bucks at Ramen in the Becton Center. 

“I know a lot of other students, [including myself], who don’t have a schedule that lines up with the resco dining hall hours, so we’re forced to … go to Commons or the Bow-Wow,” Miles Yamner ’25 said. “Without this option, a lot of kids won’t have the freedom to eat when it’s convenient for them and might have to resort to paying out of pocket.”

Yamner emphasized that the Bow-Wow provides a quick snack without conflicting with his demanding schedule, a solution that the substitute accommodations don’t necessarily facilitate. 

Kayla Wong ’25, though also disappointed that the Commons will be closed next week, looks forward to the Cross Campus grab-and-go lunch option and will be “possibly stopping by Ramen for the first time.” 

Wong emphasized the resourcefulness and creativity of Yale students, adding that she is confident that students will find a solution that works for them by exploring the various accommodations and changes detailed in the email. 

Other students, like Braiya Nolan ’25, were particularly interested in the updated dining hall hours listed in the email and wondered if these temporary changes and their convenience could be made more “continuous” throughout the school year. 

“I’ve heard that during pre-covid times, Trumbull dining was more popular than it is now because it opened much later,” Nolan said. “It’s exciting that they’re bringing it back, even if it’s just for several days. I do hope that [administration] will consider keeping these extended hours for students who can benefit from them.” 

Viktor Kagan ’24, a YCC senator for Pierson College, was also surprised by the University’s decision to expand dining hall hours. He echoed Nolan’s sentiment that making these changes a more regular part of Yale Hospitality’s dining services will effect much-needed change for the student body, especially for those with demanding schedules that make eating during standard dining hall hours infeasible. 

Regular Commons, Underground and Bow-Wow service hours will resume on Monday, Nov. 7.