By removing the dining hall carryout option on weekends, Campus Dining Services isn’t doing its best to live up to its namesake: serving the campus. Students not only want to be able to takeout food on weekends, many of them need to.

In our related article, CDS acknowledges the intent of the carryout program is to accommodate students with busy schedules, yet it said it took away carryout dining away because students don’t need it on weekends when there are no classes.

Well, busy schedules aren’t comprised entirely of classes, and they don’t end on Friday. Many students work part-time jobs, study or are involved in extra-curricular activities that don’t allow for the time commitment of waiting in line at Plaza 900. Even without a time crunch, carryout is a convenient option that students want and pay for.

Yes, there’s still Baja Grill and Sabai, but let’s not forget that on Saturday, Sabai is closed and Baja doesn’t even open until 12 p.m. Neither opens until 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Perhaps CDS wants to cut down on the amount of food it loses per swipe, but students pay for all-you-can-eat dining and should get what they pay for. If CDS is adamant about prohibiting students from getting plates of food in addition to their carryout box, it should adjust prices accordingly. It’s not fair for everyone else to be able to eat as much as they want while carryout diners are limited.

As for saving money, that’s what the trayless dining initiative is for, and carryout dining actually contributes. More carryout options means less water spent on washing dishes and fewer tables to clean. If students can’t get carryout, they may not even utilize dining halls at all, so CDS will lose business from students who aren’t bound by meal plans already paid for.

There’s no rationale for taking away carryout dining on the weekends. Just bring it back.