The food court’s operating hours have been reduced this semester, a change that will keep meal plan prices from rising but subsequently reduces student worker hours and restricts accessibility to dining services for students.

Einstein Bros Bagels, Pizza Hut Express and Quiznos will now close at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Weekend hours remain the same.

The new hours will keep meal plans at an affordable price for students, said Anthony Williams, ACU’s chief business services officer. This is an attempt to better accommodate families who are desperately trying to pay for the rising costs of higher education.

“Food prices naturally rise each year, forcing us to charge students more for their meal plans,” Williams said. “By cutting the number of hours ACU Dining Services pays for labor and operation, students can keep their meal plans for next year at the same price.”

Despite the positive effect on meal plans, not everyone in the ACU community is happy about the change. Students can no longer buy food from the Campus Center on late nights and weekends, and employees who rely on their job to pay the bills are given fewer hours to work.

“We have to deal with the changes even if we are unhappy with our hours,” said Eve Angel, sophomore psychology major from Los Angeles. “The only alternative is quitting and finding work elsewhere.”

Angel has worked at Einstein’s for two years.

“I’ll be moving off campus in the fall, and it will be tough to pay rent with these reduced hours,” said Olga Najera, sophomore biology major from El Paso.

Najera’s hours are being reduced from 17 hours to nine hours a week with the changes.

Hours for The World Famous Bean, Starbucks, The Fatted Café, Oasis Juice and Snacks and P.O.D. Express at Bagel Wagon in the Hardin Administration Building will remain the same.

Paloma Cavazos, a sophomore political science major from Alvaredo and a student worker in the Bean, said she was thankful her work hours will remain the same.