???Sometimes that early morning granola bar just doesn't cut it. When students' rumbling stomachs echo throughout the library, the need to find nourishment slows the brain and breaks concentration; it's time to pack up the laptop and nomadically search for food.
???According to www.myubcard.com/dining, there are 28 dining locations in 14 different buildings on campus. This doesn't include what seems to be hundreds of vending machines around every corner; the choices seem endless, but prices can put a dent in the Campus Cash account.
???"The variety [of food] on campus is good, but it's expensive. I waste a lot of money each week on food," said Amanda Szudzik, a freshman nursing major.
???Szudzik lives off campus. She estimates that she spends approximately 30 hours a week on campus and finds that most of the dining options are expensive, but the price is fair when students are willing to actually sit down and have a meal.
???"[I eat] in the Baldy center and I go to Young Chow a lot," Szudzik said. "I basically go everywhere, but the stuff in the vending machines is expensive."
???Alex Meyer, a senior computer science major, lives off campus and chooses to bring food from home as often as possible. He sometimes spends over 50 hours a week on campus and Hot Pockets have become his go-to food.
???"When it comes to dining choices, there is a lack of variety on campus, but the quality is decent," Meyer said. "I bring my food from home because the food on campus is way too expensive."
???Tonia Brown, a sophomore German and Spanish major, chooses to bring food from home because it's an easy and inexpensive option.
???"I'm [on campus] Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I am here from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.," Brown said. "I bring a lot of my own food because it costs [about] $5 for a sandwich."
???According to Brown, the variety of dining on campus is not all it's cracked up to be, but the convenience is a positive.
"I go to Tim Hortons a lot and the walkway places," Brown said. "I'll occasionally go to Burger King or Subway."
???Loramarie Muratore, a senior English and BFA theater performance major, lives on campus and spends nearly 40 hours a week at UB. Muratore prefers to cook her own food and bring it to school.
???"I bring it; it's just cheaper," Muratore said. "At home I try to grocery shop and cook my own food as way to save money."
???Dawn Carlson, a Ph.D. student in the graduate School of Education, also likes to bring food from home. Carlson spends most evenings studying in the Undergraduate Library and hunger seems to always hit during those late night sessions.
???"Lately I've been spending between 20 to 30 hours per week [on campus]," Carlson said. "I bring my own food because it's easier. Usually I study at night and it's not convenient for me to walk to the Commons and back to the Undergraduate Library."
???When Carlson actually decides to dine at UB, she enjoys visiting Korean Express in the Commons.
"I find the quality and variety [of food] is good, it's just more convenient to bring from home, even thought the food is fairly priced," Carlson said. "I shop where things are cheaper and I always choose fresh and try to buy things on sale for that week."
???The consensus among the majority of students suggests that it is more economical to bring food from home. Purchasing meals on campus is convenient once in awhile, but it's just not affordable to dine in the Commons or Student Union each and every day.
???Whether students are buyers or bringers, everyone is watching their dollars and trying to use some common sense when it comes to finding nourishment. Interested students can visit www.myubcard.com/dining to view the various dining options and daily specials available on campus.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
