The monster is awake and hungry — growling from the dark, moist pit he gnashes his sharp teeth against the empty cavernous walls asking for food.

Shippensburg University offers several options to quiet the grumbling monster clawing at the inside of students’ stomachs.

On campus, students have the choices of Reisner Dining Hall, Kriner Dining Hall, Century Café in Old Main, Starbucks in the Ezra Lehman Library, and the C-Store, the the Galley food court and Dunkin Donuts, which are all in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB).

As a sophomore, Ryniah Dumas said her advice to freshmen unsure where to eat is to check out SU’s website, http://www.dineoncampus.com/ship/, because that is what she does to see what dining areas are open.

The website also includes places to eat on campus, menu items, and nutritional and sustainabile information.

There are four meal periods per day, but only one meal can be used per meal period. Breakfast is from 7 to 10:30 a.m., lunch is from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and dinner is from 3:30 to 7 p.m. The late night meal is from 8 to 11:30 p.m.

Nick Iula, director of campus dining services, said that although he likes all of the on-campus dining options, Reisner is his favorite.

“I love Reisner because it’s our largest location. We can offer the widest variety of food. It’s the perfect spot for students with dietary preferences.”

Reisner, which is set up buffet style, has something for everyone, Iula said, including vegans, vegetarians and people with allergies, Iula said.

Kriner is also a buffet and is about half the size of Reisner, but because of the smaller size, students receive more specialized attention, get to know the staff better and enjoy a “cozier” atmosphere, Iula said.

In addition to the buffet, inside Kriner are a Papa John’s and sub shop called Sub-Generation that are not included in the general meal swipe that gets students into the buffet part of Kriner.

“I don’t really see a difference,” Dumas said of Reisner and Kriner. “[Reisner] just has more. Some people say Kriner’s food tastes a little bit better than Reisner’s.”

The CUB is excellent for commuters, it is a great place to meet friends and it is good for those who need to get food fast, Iula said. At the CUB, meals can be used to buy $5.75 worth of food, Iula said.

In the Galley food court located in the CUB, almost everything can be bought with a meal swipe.

Some exceptions include chips, bottled soda — but not fountain soda, and sushi, said Lara Monroe, who works in the CUB. Essentially, all packaged products must be paid with either flex, cash or credit, Monroe said.

The same rule applies to the C-store across from the food court inside the CUB.

Almost everything in the C-store, where cashier Kay Clugh works, must be paid for with flex, cash or credit, Clugh said. The exceptions, Clugh said, include Chicken-Dipety, which sells wraps, salads and French fries, cereal, small milks, coffee and fountain sodas — but not packaged sodas.

Some freshmen do not understand that when their food goes over the $5.75 meal value, flex can be used to cover the rest, Clugh said. It is something that she tries to teach them.

Senior Nick Galbo said that his favorite place to eat is the CUB because he can get in and out quickly. And unlike Reisner, Galbo said, he knows what is being served. At Reisner, the menu changes, and if it is something he does not like, Galbo said he cannot take back his meal swipe and leave in search of something else.

Galbo’s friend, Cory Stremmel, gave some advice on campus dining.

“I would say switch it up because it gets old if you eat the same thing every day,” Stremmel said.

Century Café is another option for students; however, because it is so small the lines can sometimes be long, Iula said.

Century is set up with one food line where students order at one end and pay at the other end.

“You never know who’s going to be [at Century Café],” Iula said. “You get to know the servers. It’s very easy to make special requests. It’s a very small mom and pop atmosphere.”

Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are also very popular places for students on campus, Iula said.

Freshman Sierra Groft said that she has looked at a map of SU’s dining options and she already knows about Starbucks, Chicken-Dipity and both areas in the CUB.

So far, Groft has eaten mostly at Reisner, but she is ready to try Kriner.

“I would tell [students] start off with Reisner and experiment. They should eat at every location at least once,” Iula said. 

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