If you have ever been to the East Halls dining buffet at Findlay Commons, you already understand the problem without needing much explanation.

The line is often long, slow, and unpredictable, sometimes stretching out the door and down the stairs. On a bad day, it can take close to 10 minutes just to get a single plate of food, even when the entire premise of a buffet is being able to go back for more. By the time you consider a second plate, you’re already calculating whether it’s worth re-entering the line or if you should simply leave hungry.

At a certain point, this stops being a minor inconvenience and starts becoming a real issue. The current setup discourages diners from using the buffet as intended, creates massive bottlenecks during peak hours, and undermines the buffet model.

A buffet is supposed to encourage flow, with people moving in, eating, moving out, and getting more food if they want. Instead, the line prevents students from even getting a reasonable amount of food, let alone enjoying it. When students begin strategizing when they can eat instead of what they want to eat, something has gone wrong.

What makes this more frustrating is that Penn State already has examples of dining halls that work better. Pollock, the other freshman dining hall, relies on a pre-plated system that keeps students moving efficiently. You grab food, you go, and the line rarely becomes an obstacle to actually eating. Meanwhile, West manages crowds by splitting diners into two separate lines, which immediately cuts congestion and wait times. These systems aren’t perfect, but they prove that alternatives exist and that East doesn’t have to operate the way it currently does.

At this point, should we just get LineLeap?

At some point while standing in line, you stop checking your phone and start doing the math in your head. How long has it been? How long will it take to come back for more food if you want a second plate?

The app lets you pay to skip the line, and suddenly that idea doesn’t sound completely unreasonable. It’s usually reserved for bars downtown, where it helps people get inside faster by letting them pay to skip long lines.

If LineLeap existed at the dining hall, it would likely be straightforward: pay a dollar or two, skip the line once, get your food, and actually have time to go back for seconds. It would save time and frustration during rush hours. But the fact that this sounds like a workable plan at a buffet is the problem, because students shouldn’t have to pay extra just to eat the meals they already paid for.

We’ve seen Penn State act quickly when lines become a problem. At the start of the 2025 football season, entry lines were so bad during the first game that just days later, the university announced a wristband system to speed up access for the next game, and every game after that. The result was noticeably shorter wait times and a smoother experience. Dining should not be any different.

The fix need not be complicated. It requires a serious assessment of whether the current model is feasible during peak hours, paired with simple action. Doing nothing is no longer acceptable.

Students should speak up. Submit feedback. Fill out dining surveys honestly. A buffet that makes students consider skipping dinner or paying an extra fee just to eat is not functioning as intended. We’re not asking for luxury. We’re asking for dinner.

And, ideally, a second plate.