Levi Brandenburg
Contributing Writer
To comply with COVID-19 guidelines, the University erected an overflow area to help enforce and maintain an appropriate capacity in Winslow Dining Hall.
“We needed this extra seating,” said April Keel, sophomore from Cadiz, Kentucky. “I understand the restrictions that are in place, but it makes it very difficult to even be able to grab a quick meal between classes when you have to wait to be admitted in because they’ve reached capacity. I don’t know what they’re going to do when events start and people come in even larger numbers than normal.”
David Looney, executive director of the Auxiliary Services Administration on campus, explained how the area will be used.
“The intent of the space is to allow students to have some additional seating space,” Looney said. “They would still go through Winslow like they normally do and then they would exit Winslow out near the back corner which is normally marked off as an emergency exit. You’ll be able to head straight down the ramp by Fast Track into the modular space.”
Many students have noticed problems with Winslow seating and serving with the restrictions that are currently in place.
“I’ve started to have to come at really weird times to eat instead of a normal lunchtime,” said Robert Messman, sophomore from Fort Elmendorf, Alaska.”Between that and them being closed for 30 minutes every meal period, it sucks.”
Racer Dining is attempting to assuage the concerns of students by expanding seating.
“Normally, Winslow’s seating capacity is about 480 to 500 people at a time,” Looney said. “Right now, due to the restrictions put in place in Kentucky, it’s limited to only about 100 people. We’re still working out the final details with the capacity of the building but we’re hoping to be able to sit 100 to 125 students in the area.”
Despite this, some students have expressed concerns about the building’s placement.
“For the most part, I’ve not been affected by the Winslow capacity limit,” said Mason Williams, senior from Paducah, Kentucky. “I have, however, had trouble with parking to get to Fast Track a few days ago. I know there’s not anywhere else it could really go, it’s just annoying and messes with the traffic.”
This was also a major concern for those working on the addition.
“We brought Campus Police out to look at it with us,” Looney said. “It’s not only causing problems with student traffic, but we also had to look at it from an emergency viewpoint too. How will the fire department and emergency services retain access to it? How can we make it accessible to wheelchairs? In order to fulfill all the potential emergency problems, we had to sacrifice some parking. We lost about 20 parking spaces and a few disability parking spaces but we think it was a good and necessary trade at the moment.”
Many of the problems that affect Winslow also or will also affect other on-campus dining options as well.
“Part of what we spent a lot of time doing is looking all over campus for additional seating opportunities,” Looney said. “The problem is that we also have academics and classes have been getting a lot of the same restraints so every extra space on campus we had to consider carefully whether it should be used for dining or for academics. We have added picnic tables and other things to try to help with the problems that we know will be there with the other dining options.”
The overflow area is opening soon, as the permit was approved on Friday, Aug. 21.
