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Summer restaurant hours aren’t cutting the mustard

American University students said summer food offerings and services aren’t cutting the mustard.

Customers wait in line at the American University Starbucks. Photo by Madeline Jarrard.
Customers wait in line at the American University Starbucks. Photo by Madeline Jarrard.

Stores including Starbucks, Capital One Bank, and Megabytes Cafe are only open during the weekdays. Starbucks is open from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., while the Eagle’s Nest is open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Subway is open from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Tom Page, 21, believed the store hours were a disadvantage for students that work on campus.

“If I just got off work I wouldn’t be able to grab something to eat,” Page said.

Jayne Yoo, 29, is one of those students.

“For me it closes too early,” Yoo said. “If I want to get a snack I have to go off campus.”

American University's Subway restaurant offers shortened hours this summer. Photo by Geena Provenzano.
American University’s Subway restaurant offers shortened hours this summer. Photo by Geena Provenzano.

Students also proposed that additional stores such as Chick Fil A, Chipotle, and McDonald’s be added to campus.

“I remember they used to have a McDonald’s on campus. It was open later because of the way the store operated,” said Derek Allen, age 20. “If you were showing up late from a party on a weekend it’d be open.”

Patrick Kavanagh, 20 wished the campus offered additional sit down restaurants. He wanted another place to meet other than the campus dining hall.

As for the employees, many believed that the store hours were convenient. There aren’t enough customers for it to be worth the extra time.

“For the summer it’s not that busy, so the hours are based on business,” said Subway employee Tiffany James, 31.

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Do Americans appreciate the Fourth of July?

Fireworks explode over the National Mall in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
Fireworks explode over the National Mall in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

In the days before the Fourth of July, many Americans begin to gear up for the celebration which this year marked the 239th anniversary of America’s independence.

Whether it’s eating hamburgers or seeing a fireworks show, many Americans like to party on the special day.

“It’s definitely a focal point of the summer,” said Chris Morgan, 25, from Gaithersburg, Maryland.

As of July 2, Morgan planned to party with his friends, one of which will be meeting him in Pennsylvania with his fellow hikers from the Appalachian Trail. Morgan has many Fourth of July memories from previous years as well, including a glow-stick party in his neighbor’s pool and a firework show over Camden Yards in Baltimore.

There’s no doubt that Americans do their share of partying on the Fourth of July. But is this partying aimed towards the right cause? Is there appropriate reverence for the actions of America’s forefathers?

Buddy Bonner, 48, said the answer is “no.”

“I think we got a gross departure from appreciation with what our freedoms are,” Bonner said. “It’s more than likely just viewed as another day off from work.”

Bonner even admitted that he might be one of those people who does not hold the Fourth of July in high enough regard.

For some, the lack of appreciation of the Fourth of July is rooted in a lack of education.

“What happened exactly only the Fourth of July?” said Kevin Quinto, a 16-year-old from North Carolina. “If you asked 10 people at least five of them wouldn’t know.”

For Francesca Coyne, 18, of Pennsylvania, the holiday brings people together.

“Its really cool to see everybody get together and appreciate something,” Coyne said.

“It’s very rare that you can get a group silent and appreciate something,” Coyne later said.

Marsel Ganeycv, 18, an international student, said the Fourth of July is a worthy celebration for the independence of the country.

“I have a t-shirt with stars and people say ‘I have the same t-shirt,'” Ganeycv said. “They’re all so friendly.”

Like Coyne, Ganeycv sees the holiday as a way to bring people together.

“When you see the fireworks, something is happening in your soul,” Ganeycv said. “You feel that you’re apart of the whole crowd.”

 

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Social media brings risks and rewards

With increased technology and mobility, social media has become a staple of everyday life and teenagers and young adults this week in Tenleytown voiced their opinions about the positives and negatives of the trend.

A majority of people interviewed this week in Northwest Washington D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood use outlets such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook strictly for social interactions. Many said that they have become more aware of both national and international events because of these applications.

“With the burning of churches or police brutality, the youth are starting to become more informed because it’s always on Twitter first,” said Stephanie Reyas, 18.

For 19-year-old Gabriela Berrios, the positives of social media outweigh the negatives and it’s a personal accountability issue.

“If more people are intelligent with the way they use social media there wouldn’t be any problems at all,” Berrios said.

Gabriela Berrios, 19, texts while eating lunch at a Panera in Northwest Washington D.C. Photo by Geena Provenzano
Gabriela Berrios, 19, texts while eating lunch at a Panera in Northwest Washington D.C. Photo by Geena Provenzano

But, others interviewed stressed the darker side of social media including anonymous users causing harm. A 2015 Pew Research Center report on teenagers and social media found 11 percent of children aged 13 to 17 who own a cell phone use anonymous sites or apps like Ask.FM.

That had some in the district worried.

“You don’t know the people you’re talking to so it could get you in trouble,” said 25-year-old Jeff Ninson.

Olivia Renee, 14, saw social media as a gateway to cyber bullying.

“I have been a victim of bullying online,” Renee said. “If people don’t bully in person they automatically turn to social media. I think that’s a problem at my age.”

Renee is not alone.

According to a 2014 Pew Research Center report, younger adults are more likely to be harassed online than older users. But, regardless of age, roughly 40 percent of Internet users have experienced some form of online harassment.

Some interviewed this week in Washington D.C., believed that social media has become a way for children to isolate themselves and said kids have become too dependent on technology.

“They use it instead of communicating with people in real life,” said John Belisario, 17. “Kids text on their phones instead of going outside.”