The Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee announced earlier this week that the Refectory will stay open until 3 p.m.-a half hour later than usual-on a trial basis. Plans for Sunday brunch are in the works as well, to begin this Sunday.

This Board applauds the work of DUSDAC in lobbying for this change and encourage the committee to continue lobbying for more convenient hours. The Refectory is one of the more popular lunch venues on campus and offers healthy food that is as close to home-cooked that one will find on campus. With the limited options available for food on Sunday mornings, the addition of a sit-down brunch is a welcome option.

The extension of the Refectory's hours more permanently would benefit students getting out of class on Main West at 2:30 p.m. and those who have class at 2:50 p.m., many of whom are often looking to eat lunch before or after their class. It makes sense that the Refectory should be open during this time in order to accommodate these students. In addition, the Refectory offers a better alternative to the convenience of fast food on campus.

It should be noted, however, that student traffic at the Refectory during the trial period may not be indicative of actual demand because of the limited options now available. The draw of the Refectory lies in its hot food and wraps, and it is unlikely that many students will travel during the extra half hour just to pick up grab 'n go options. Unless the full menu is offered during this trial period, real demand for extended hours will be difficult to estimate.

In addition to advocating for later lunch hours, DUSDAC should also lobby for the reinstatement of Sunday night dinners at the Refectory. Sunday nights are another popular time for sit-down meals and it would be beneficial for students to have this option available again.

This Board also encourages DUSDAC to lobby Dining Services for extending dinner hours at the Great Hall. There are many advantages to leaving this venue open until 9 p.m. on weeknights. It is the biggest venue with the most dinner options that cater to students with a wide range of tastes. With the newly added all-day breakfast, the Great Hall offers even more options that should be available to students until 9 p.m. In addition, the Great Hall fosters the type of communal eating atmosphere that was recommended by the Campus Culture Initiative.

It makes sense that the Great Hall would be open the same hours as its East Campus counterpart, the Marketplace. Because they are managed by the same company, there should not be this disparity between the two venues.

Though there are some key differences between the Marketplace and the Great Hall-the lack of ice cream being a glaring one-DUSDAC should continue to lobby for increased hours at the most popular times.