Hours change at Opus and Diner:
Hamiltonians missing their late night fixes

by Lauren Magaziner '12
OPINION WRITER

Every college student has heard the term “Thirsty Thursday,” but, for some of the people who have class on Friday, the thirst quencher usually comes in the form of a coffee from Café Opus. However, Opus has changed its hours so that they no longer include Thursday nights. Opus now closes at 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays and does not reopen until Friday morning.

Hali Baumstein ’11 said, “No one even told me. I just went there and they were closed. I feel like there are a lot of papers due on Friday, so wouldn’t Opus get a lot of business?”

These new hours severely limit the caffeine options for students needing a fix on Thursday nights.

Most students depend on caffiene to get them through all night study sessions and gruelling paper writing.

Opus is relied on for its genuine quality, which is severely missed with newly limited hours. Students often prefer Opus to other coffee options on campus. Even as Opus is closing its doors every other week night at 11 p.m, students rush for the last batch of fresh cookies and a burst of caffeine.

Shannon Cuthbert ’14 said, “Thursday is the middle of the week. You’re trying to get to the weekend, and you just need that last jolt of energy to get you there. But Opus isn’t open anymore, so that’s sad.”

With the new hours in place, if students do not get their coffee at Commons or McEwen, they don’t get their coffee at all. Perhaps as another option for the necessary Thursday night coffee, students will be forced to buy their own coffee machines or run to local fast food chains.

Paige Cross ’13 said, “I count on Opus for my daily caffiene fix, especially when I need to stay up late doing my homework.”

Opus is not the only venue on campus with new and improved hours. Diner breakfast, affectionately known as “Diner-B,” now ends at 3 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. These new hours mean that Event Staff can no longer get Diner breakfast after their shifts end.

Anonymous ’13 said, “There’s nothing in the world I want more after 3 a.m. than a stack of three deliciously greasy hashbrowns with extra kethup.”
On the other hand, as a courtesy to the amazing Diner staff, it only seems fair that they should be able to get some sleep on the weekends too.

Also, not many people come between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Any Hamilton student knows that the peak Diner-B hours are between 12:30 a.m. and 2 a.m.

“I can’t speak for the whole campus, but I feel like most of the people I know are done by 3 a.m. I know I am,” Baumstein said.

The only problem with the new Diner hours, besides Event Staff getting the shaft, is that many students who are irreparably drunk will no longer have the option of finding food on campus after 3 a.m.

The new time changes with food venues on campus means students must be more self-reliant when it comes to sustenance. Students looking for a sobering bite to eat will need to stock food in their rooms. Luckily, there is a dollar store just down the Hill full of low-price food items, and vending machines are all around campus. And, as a silver lining, learning to make your own coffee is a life skill definitely worth learning.