Every year in the past, Juniper Hall has been emptied of residence students. This year is the first the hall will be open to students, but that might mean finding other ways to find food than at the dining hall.

When summer arrives, Java Jam Coffeeshop and the dining hall will close down, but the coffee shop at the campus will stay on, according to Lori Willis, manager of campus food services.

“The dining hall will be closed probably after the first week of summer rush,” Willis said. On-campus meal services will be available to these students at their own expense,

according to Paul Wheeler, director of residence life at COCC.

“Students who have contracted to stay in Juniper Hall for the summer term are not being required to participate in any mandatory meal plan,” Wheeler said.

But the overall decision of whether the meal plans are covered during summer months hasn’t been reached.

“We’ve had some conferencing, but I don’t think the students who are staying here on campus this summer will have meals services included in their stay,” Willis said.

The unmade decision also leaves employees at the dining hall unsure of employment, since according to Herb Baker, director of cafeteria food services, “only a few employees stay on during the summer.”

“The chef stays to cook for conferences and catering and do some inventory,” said Baker. “Tracy up in the coffee shop stays to manage it.”

Cyrus Fryback, a current dorm student who will stay to finish his Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree during the summer, said he would prefer to eat on campus.

“They have a grill [in the dorms],” Fryback said. “I was thinking of buying chicken breasts and cooking them on the grill. Otherwise, I’ll be eating out a lot.”

Fryback has a car, but many dorm students don’t. Those students will have more trouble getting off-campus to get anything other than deli food.

Brayan Gonzalez | The Broadside
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