Conflict arises over Orleans Room

The influx of Tulane students eating in Loyola University’s Orleans Room dining hall has created tension between some students from both universities.

This is the first year that Tulane students can use meal swipes at the Orleans Room, and as a result, there has been large increase in the number of Tulane Students dining at Loyola each week. This combined with the fact that Loyola’s freshman class is larger than in previous years, has created a seating shortage and longer lines in the Orleans Room during lunch hours.

In response to the overcrowding, students created Facebook groups entitled “Tulane kids need to stop going to the O.R. and causing huge lines” and “Tulane kids who eat at Loyola Bruff and don’t give a S**T.” Loyola dining services has received approximately 20 complaints this semester.

Terence Sanders, who started the “Tulane kids who eat at Loyola Bruff and don’t give a S**T” Facebook group, said that the comments on both Facebook groups are humorous but not vicious, but they have gotten “worse and worse with less fact and more opinion.”

“There are a lot of misconceptions about Tulane students in general,” Sanders said.

Caitlin Brewster, Loyola’s marketing and customer service manager, said she thought the changes in the dining system will take some adjustment for Loyola students.

“It’s changed, and a lot of people have trouble with change,” said Brewster. “In order for [the joint dining program] to succeed, there needs to be give and take for both campuses.”

Sarah Smith, an Undergraduate Student Government representative on the dining services committee, has tried to correct misconceptions on both Facebook groups and calm people down in general.

“We need to find a way to work together,” Smith said. “All of the remarks that are funny but also offensive are too much.”

Loyola freshman Josh Washington said thought the problems weren’t worth the conflict they created.
“There shouldn’t be animosity over food,” Washington said.

Other Loyola students have problems with the overcrowding rather than with Tulane students in particular.
“We don’t have anything against Tulane students, we just don’t have enough space,” Loyola freshman Mary Elfert said.

Elfert also said she didn’t like the tension the issue has created between the schools, and hopes that Loyola will consider knocking down the front wall in order to create more dining space.

To help equalize the situation, Loyola students will soon be able to use their meal swipes at Bruff. Tulane dining services recently ordered a new card reader that will allow the new program to start within two weeks.