By Ayana Bessard, Staff Writer

Published Sep. 17, 2014

Of the 12 different places on campus to eat from, only four are open after 8 p.m. during the week.

The four are Bojangles, Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/Wing Street, Subway, and…Subway.

Why we have two Subways on campus is beyond me.

When Spartan Village was being built, students were extremely anxious to find out what new dining option Highland Hall would be hosting for its voracious students.

Not to mention that when the building caught fire during the summer of 2013, it had to restart the construction process from the very beginning.

So after this extra year of waiting, finding out that the new mystery restaurant is Subway really disappointed students.

I just can’t understand why UNCG needs two franchises of the same restaurant on campus.

Especially considering the fact that there’s another subway about 3 blocks down the road at Great Stops and another on Tate Street.

I was really looking forward to the idea of having something new to eat, and after learning of another subway at Highland Hall I was really frustrated.

You see, people get tired of eating the same things in rotation for 3 years.

Instead of giving in and going with the known quantity that is Subway, we could have rolled the dice and let students play an important role in the selection process.

Wouldn’t it have been a great if students had the option to vote for the newest dining option?

And on top of that, many of the restaurants around campus don’t stay open long enough to cater to the needs of college kids with random late night hunger.

Aside from the four that I previously mentioned, every other on-campus eatery closes by 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and by 6 p.m. on the weekends.

Of course, some places don’t even open their doors during this time.

So if you tend to get  hungry later in the night like most college students, prepare to eat a lot of subs; especially if Flex dollars are your only money to spend.

It’s rumored that UNCG is typically known for having slightly healthier options for eating, but double the Subway will not make us half the size.

And, honestly, while I was asking students around campus how they felt about the new Subway I learned that many of them were unaware that there was even a place to eat in Spartan Village.

To be more specific, the commuters didn’t really care and a vast majority of those who live on campus were disappointed that UNCG would really invest in something that we already have.

Then again, should we really be surprised at the administration’s priorities after the rec center nightmare of last year?

Time and time again, they make it abundantly clear that they’re completely tone deaf to what we as students really care about.

Let me be clear, Subway is a popular restaurant that a lot of people really enjoy.

It’s just hard to imagine how one of these could really thrive financially when there are a total of four within a very close vicinity of one another.

What one Subway on campus could be making is divided between four.

In fact, the owner of the Subway in Highland Hall supports this statement by explaining that “with Great Stops right down the road, we could lose out simply because they didn’t see this store first.”

This sentiments is undoubtedly felt in the three other stores surrounding campus, and hammers home the message that UNCG administrators are not making rational decisions.

It seems that our campus is in love with the idea of profit maximization and doing “what’s right for the students.”

However, the tactics being used to decide which restaurants are placed on campus has been completely botched.

They seriously expect the student body to respond positively to limited choices that they have no voice in.

Next time I sincerely hope that students are able to play a role in the decision-making process concerning food choice.

By simply consulting members of the student body, and gaining a feel for how certain restaurants will be perceived we can increase student satisfaction, while simultaneously ensuring that we aren’t  surrounded by one chain.

With that being said, maybe I can accept the idea of another Subway; mainly because I won’t be eating it.