For students coming onto campus amidst the pandemic, there were many obstacles to overcome. Some had been college students prior to COVID and were getting back into in-person classes, but for others, it was their first time in college, and their first time back in a school setting since high school. Yet, one thing that’s certain in the Los Medanos College campus is that students new and old were hungry. 

It wasn’t until the Fall 2023 semester that LMC opened its new cafeteria. This means that for many students, there hasn’t been a wide variety of food options outside of the student store on campus for three years. 

Students who rely on public transportation, are unable to drive, or have any scheduling conflicts, don’t have the option to go to the nearest fast food restaurant and get something quickly in between classes. 

Admittedly, in the spring semester, the school has tried to amend this food scarcity by frequently having food truck vendors at the front of the school, but when I got out of class and tried to rush to get a plate of whatever vendor was out there that day, by the time I arrived—those trucks were already closed and heading out. The thing about vendors is that they don’t fit into every student’s schedule, and no matter what band-aid the school tried to apply, it did not fix the integral issue. 

Unanimously it’s clear that faculty wants more students in class- which is understandable. However, not many students show up for in-person classes as most are balancing work with school–and taking time out of their day to attend classes they could accomplish online seems unnecessary. 

But another reason why some may be apprehensive is this lack of food. It’s hard to commit to three, four, five, or maybe even more classes fully in person when you know you’re going to be starving the entire day. The only close food options are the limited few sandwiches and maybe some chips from the student store. It’s simply unrealistic to expect students to be taking classes all day when the student store closes at 5:00 p.m., with many classes going into the night. 

However, the cafeteria is more than just food, it’s also socialization. After the stay-at-home restrictions, many are feeling isolated and socially inexperienced, and getting out of high school where you would sit with your friends in a cafeteria and socialize amongst your peers, going to a college that simply does not have that—might discourage you. 

Or you knew what the college cafeteria experience used to be and now it’s just non-existent, of course, this would lead to some people not wanting to come to campus. For many, college is just as much social as it is a learning experience, and despite classes coming back in person, there might be a serious lack of areas where students can buy food and socialize. 

I believe that the cafeteria finally opening back up, will lead to more students showing up on campus and help us take a step further into building a new normal. COVID isn’t something that’s going away and it’s not something that we’re moving on from, it’s simply our new reality, and with its existence, we need to learn how to feel stable and normal while simultaneously keeping safe. And with accessible food options back on campus, that may just be the next step we need in gaining that stability.