Eating on campus during lunchtime is so difficult for senior Frank Patterson that he said he would rather not eat lunch at all.
"It is awful," he said. "It is no one's fault, but trying to eat in the Atrium or Noyer during lunchtime is next to impossible."
Noyer Centre and the Atrium are the busiest dining services at Ball State University, but all locations are slowed down because staff are not familiar with the registers, Jon Lewis, Campus Dining Services director, said.
"I don't have the numbers, but those two are obviously the busiest every day during lunch, mainly because of their location in the middle of campus," he said.
However, areas like Courtside in LaFollette Complex, which does not get the circulation that Atrium and Noyer Centre do, have suffered slightly longer waiting times, assistant director of operations Liz Poore said.
Poore said much of that is because of the recently installed Micros cash-registering system. Courtside was the latest to receive the system. The waits are because cashiers are adjusting to the system, which will eventually support credit and debit transactions, she said.
Lewis said system glitches have been dealt with and wait times are expected to shorten, he said.
"The cashiers will do nothing but speed up from here," Lewis said. "It is the same with anyone adjusting to any new system."
To solve trying to eat during the lunch rush, students can go to the south side of campus.
Elliot/Wagoner Dining, located south of Elliott Hall, is the least visited during lunchtime, getting 200-300 students a day, Timothy Skinner, Elliott Dining food service supervisor. said.
"Logically, it is because we are the furthest dining service on campus," Skinner said.
Most customers are Elliott and Wagoner hall residents and upperclassmen, he said. However, some come from across campus.
"When a student comes in for the first time, they love it so much that they want to come back," Skinner said.
Elliot Dining is an all-you-can-eat buffet with everything from vegetarian to Asian to nonfat items. It holds about 300 people.
"Elliot/Wagoner Dining is a beautiful facility that offers great food," Skinner said. "I guess it is the best-kept secret on campus."
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