By Wajeeha Malik

The dining halls in the HBKU Residence Halls have reduced their lunch and dinner charges from 28 QR to 25 QR, effective from March 1. The policy was put in place due to the effort of the student-run Residence Hall Association (RHA), which was created to obtain feedback from students living in the Residence Halls and work towards improving their on-campus living experience.

“Starting on March 1, Education City students presenting their University ID cards at the dining courts inside the HBKU Student Housing Complex, will be paying QAR 25 instead of QAR 28 QR for lunch or dinner,” said Jimmy Karam, Director of Housing & Residence Life (HRL) for HBKU in an official statement to The Daily Q. “This step came in response to student feedback, discussions with the Residence Hall Association, and positive negotiations with the service provider. This is part of a series of actions that supports HBKU Housing and Residence Life’s commitment to providing healthy food options at an affordable price. This step also aims at encouraging more students to use the dining facilities in the HBKU Student Housing Complex.”

Student representatives from the RHA made an official announcement about the price reduction on the RHA’s Facebook group on March 17. The RHA was also responsible for introducing the “A la Carte” menu for students in the residence halls, which allowed them to buy individual meals instead of paying for the buffet.

Students’ response to the change has been mostly positive, although some are skeptical about whether this move will encourage more students to eat in the dining halls.

“I think it’s a positive step because it shows that they are mindful of the fact that we are students. Even if it’s just a 3 QR difference, it’s a good thing for students who eat there often,” says Mariam Mahsud, an international student studying at Northwestern University in Qatar.

Zamra Zahir, a sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) who lives at the Female Housing complex (Shamali), says that she had no idea of the change because she does not eat often in the dining halls. “I don’t eat regularly there, but it’s good that it has been reduced. So for regular eaters, if they eat every day for a week they can save 15 rials. Not much, but it’s still something. It’s not going to affect me because I dine there very rarely,” she says, adding that she prefers to order in from cheaper places.

Ahmed Raza Hashmi, a senior at CMU-Q and a Community Development Advisor (CDA) for the HRL, says that he will eat at the dining halls more often due to this change. “ I feel the number [price of the buffet] appears to be closer to 20 than 30, which is better for students.” He also says that CDAs have not been specifically told to inform students regarding the change, but he that has informed students personally.

However, not everyone is convinced that this change will be very substantial. Nehal Abdulrahman, a sophomore at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (GU-SFSQ), says that there is still more to be done if more students are to eat at the dining halls.

“The cafeteria food isn’t nice. And the cafeteria is being invaded daily by masses of families. Students barely get to eat in it especially on Friday. Any price change is still too high because the quality doesn’t match up. This is my personal opinion,” said Abdulrahman.

“It’s a good thing to do but they need to improve their food quality first,” agrees Hazem Asif, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU-Q).