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Jonathan Halitsky learned to drink coffee during late-night study sessions at the Kimmel Food Court. The 1999 SU alumnus would make frequent stops at Kimmel for Dunkin’ or a 99-cent Bacon Double Cheeseburger from Burger King.

Over 20 years later, Halitsky’s nephew will follow his uncle’s path by studying at SU in the 2021 fall semester. But he won’t be able to enjoy the late-night runs to Kimmel his uncle made as a student.

The place where Halitsky and many SU students have made cherished memories is now gone. Kimmel, a campus-favorite, closed its doors when the Schine Student Center reopened after renovations. Food Services reassigned staff from Kimmel to other dining centers on campus, scattering friendly faces students had grown accustomed to.

Schine offers a mix of new and familiar dining options. While SU intends on eventually having Schine open 24/7, the building currently closes at 11 p.m, with dining options closing even earlier.

Before it shut down, Kimmel was a social hub. A place of countless memories, both good and bad. A spot on campus where fatigued partiers would go to feed their 1 a.m. hunger on SU classics like Queso’s and The Tomato Wheel. So, until Schine’s hours are extended, the SU campus faces no central location on Main Campus for nighttime snacking.

When sophomore Trey Redfield read an article about how SU was reopening Schine, it was “heavenly peace on earth,” he said. But further down in the article, Redfield learned that Kimmel was closing, leaving him devastated.

For Redfield, Kimmel was a place where he and his friends could get together, have a good time and eat “really good” food. He practically grew up on Kimmel during his freshman and sophomore years. Without many other options for after-midnight dining, Redfield asks, “What am I going to do if I’m hungry late at night?”

“Seven o’clock, are you kidding me?” Redfield said. “Some people are in class until 9. I don’t have a schedule like that, but some people do. Where are they going to go? Can’t go to Ernie. Can’t go to Schine. Oh, you want to go to Kimmel? Yeah, that’s closed, sorry.”

However, Redfield may change his mind if Schine opens for 24 hours. And even though he has to take a slightly longer walk from Booth Hall, he said Schine will have his support.

Sophomore Nicole LaFiandra is less comfortable hanging out in Schine, due to the risk of contracting COVID-19, since students have flocked to the newly renovated building. Emily Steinberger | Photo Editor

Others like sophomore Nicole LaFiandra miss how close Kimmel was to some dorms. Living a short walk away in Booth, it was easy to pick up a coffee from Dunkin’ before class or meet up with friends for dinner, LaFiandra said.

After students were sent home early last spring, her meal plan was refunded in dining dollars. LaFiandra said using up the refunded dollars will be harder going forward without the convenience of having Kimmel so close to her dorm — especially with around $1,200 still sitting in her account.

“I think that’s ridiculous, she said. “The fact that now there’s one less place to spend that money is not that great.”

Due to the excitement centered around the newly renovated Schine, the building has recently been packed. LaFiandra worries that the student center is more susceptible to COVID-19. The crowded space has made her less comfortable with stopping by Schine. She felt that Kimmel was more cautious of COVID-19 concerns, and was less of a risk.

Now that Schine has reopened, LaFiandra has realized the available space in Kimmel was “unparalleled.” And what she’ll miss the most about the space are the memories she has tied to Kimmel, including the post-party hangouts with friends and evening homework sessions with coffee. Many students have gone to Kimmel with their friends and have a kind of personal history with the food court, LaFiandra said.

Halitsky is upset that his nephew won’t be able to experience the late nights as Kimmel. But at the same time, Halitsky is looking forward to what other options his nephew can find instead and is excited to compare their SU memories with one another.

“I’m sure he’ll find something else,” Halitsky said. “I’m sad he’s not gonna enjoy Kimmel, but I’m excited to hear what he enjoys on campus so I can live vicariously through him when he goes.”

Published on February 17, 2021 at 11:26 pm

Contact Abby: avpresso@syr.edu | @abbyvp08