Dear Editor,
I've talked to lots of students before sending this letter. All of them agreed that
there's a serious problem about the sufficiency of the cafeterias on the Main Campus. Our
university (which provides a high-quality environment for its students in almost every
respect), seems to lack enough places for the students to eat lunch.
Anyone can see a crowd looking for free seats in the cafeterias around noontime,
especially between 12:30 and 13:40 (as you know, most of the student schedules don't
provide any other time for lunch). Even if some of us sit with people we don't know and
maximize the number of chairs around a table, there are still people who have to travel
from one cafeteria to another for the sake of eating something.
We all know that our university has expanded the number of students by hundreds with the
addition of the new faculties and departments. In addition, lots of existing faculties
(such as the Faculty of Engineering) have increased their quotas for new students. In
spite of these facts, as far as I know no new cafeterias have been added to our campus
since the B Building was built in 2000.
For anybody who says that there is no such problem, I'd recommend that he/she limit
his/her lunch break to the 12:30-13:40 period for one day and look for a free seat in the
student cafeterias (especially those around FEASS and the Faculty of Law).
I wonder if there are any plans to provide Bilkenters with the chance to eat lunch without
having to spend our limited time roaming between cafeterias.
Thank you for your interest.
İsmail O. Postalcıoğlu (POLS II)
Response to the Letter
Dear İsmail Postalcıoğlu,
We appreciate your concern regarding the sufficiency of the cafeterias on the Main Campus.
There are several cafeterias very close to the main alley. There is the Mozart Cafe in the
B-Building, Coffee Break just opposite, the Speed Cafe and the Kıraç Restaurant 100
meters away, and across from them, the Express Cafe. In addition, we are pleased to
announce that a new cafe, located on the ground floor of Dormitory 70, will open in 15
days. The restaurant and cafes listed above have a total seating capacity of 1300.
In view of this, it would appear that there are many places where students can choose to
eat lunch. The reason for the crowding is that most students' schedules have a lunch break
at the same time. The time spent waiting in line to buy something to eat is 10-12 minutes
during the lunch period (12:30-1:40 p.m.). The Cafeterias Management is currently working
on reducing the waiting time. At the East Campus Catering Center the waiting time is 15-17
minutes, but is approximately 5 minutes shorter if you go there at 12 p.m. On the Main
Campus, the busiest time is 12:40 p.m. Your wait will be shorter if you go to eat at 1
p.m.
Also, another suggestion would be this: If you can't find a free seat during the lunch
period, and don't have time to wait for one, you can get something to take out, like a
sandwich, döner, or hamburger. The Speed Cafe, which offers take-out food only, is an
excellent place to do this.
The Cafeterias Management will make every effort to ensure that you will be able to eat
more comfortably. Thank you.
Cafeterias
Management
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