Naomi Mellema – Staff Writer

Students walk from class to the lower level of the Campus Center, hurrying to get in line. They gaze at the menu of sandwiches, wraps, and soup as they wait for their turn to order at the counter. On the other side of the counter, full-time employees, as well as part-time student employees, work in the kitchen to prepare lunch for Dordt students and faculty members.

The smell of the soup of the day and the famous Defender sandwich drifts through the kitchen, toward students that are standing in line to receive their food. Other students study in the seating area, waiting for their buzzer to go off, alerting them that their food is ready. This is a picture of the Defender Grille, one of the on-campus dining options at Dordt.

The Grille is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and closed on weekends. Students can use a meal swipe for hot food from the Grille from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. or exchange for a grab-and-go meal at any time. The grab-and-go options at the Grille include wraps, salads, and protein packs with fruit, vegetables, or chips. Hot lunch options include sub sandwiches, wraps, and soup. At supper time, hot food options include burgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and pizza.

Many students choose to dine at the Grille for its food options and social, yet productive atmosphere. However, some believe they are experiencing longer lines and wait times at the Grille this year, in comparison to past years.

Professor Amy Westra, Director of Career Development and a CORE 100 instructor, has an office in the lower level of the Campus Center, near the Grille.

“I have noticed longer lines this year, as they now often come past my office,” Westra said. “I don’t remember the lines being quite that long in past years.”

Jenna Hekman, a sophomore at Dordt, has also noticed longer wait times at the Grille this year. While she has only noticed a slight difference in wait times during lunch, Hekman has noticed a big difference in the amount of time it takes to get her food at supper.

“For late-night, wait times are much longer than last year,” Hekman said. “The hot sandwiches generally take a long time. Even pizza has been taking longer this year when last year they would’ve just handed us our pizza.”

Another student, freshman Kylie De Boer, was late for work one afternoon because of the long wait. Kylie arrived at the Grille right at 1:30 p.m. so she could order a Defender wrap as a meal exchange before leaving for her off-campus job. Half an hour later, Kylie finally received her wrap, eating it as she walked out to her car and drove to her job, arriving after her scheduled work shift.

Longer wait times at the Grille may be an effect of the record-high student enrollment this year, or it could show a need for extra help in the kitchen during busy meal times. Either way, many students, faculty, and staff members continue to support the Grille every day, regardless of the wait time.

The Diamond repeatedly reached out to the Grille for comments, but they declined to comment.