As the clock nears noon in the Alumni Memorial Union, waves of students flock to eat at their favorite spots in Marquette Place. The backpack-laden crowd assimilates into lines that, although separated by dividers, weave together like a crosshatch.
Students wait in the mealtime mosh pit for five different locations, with servings that include subs, burgers, tacos, salads and bagel sandwiches. Though Ian’s Pizza lies on the outskirts, it, too, is subject to a lunch line — students wrap around the entrance and hug the outer wall.
The Monday-Friday lunch rush pulls students into the AMU for anywhere from 30-60 minutes at a time, where some spend 15-20 minutes waiting for their prized Marquette Place meal. For those who choose to savor their reward in-house, they move to a sea of tables to enjoy the company of friends or YouTube videos.
For some students, it’s more than a lunch line — it’s a game won by arriving just in time to avoid the stampede.
“When people get out of classes, it gets really bad,” Louis Hebson, a first-year in the College of Communication, said. “But if you come at the right time, it’s not horrible.”
Some manage the clock by avoiding Marquette Place at noon, instead slipping into the line just before or just after the rush.
“Class gets out at 11:50, so wait until 12:15 or so to come,” Ava Rosema, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “Or, if you get out early, come right then.”
Though treating it like a game lands a few students in the win column, some also have to admit defeat and give up on the wait.
“If there’s that long of a line, I just leave,” Rosema said.
Like most strategy games, a run at a successful Marquette Place lunch is layered. In addition to finding the right arrival time, some pick their meal specifically to minimize their wait. Grab-and-go lines make for two quick swipes — a snatch at the counter and a scan at the register. Other meals, like custom sandwiches at Erbert’s and Gerbert’s, come with a side of patience.
“If I’m hungry enough, it’s worth the wait,” Katherine Brown, a first-year in the College of Business Administration, said. “But then on other days, I’ll just do the Einstein Bagels line because there’s no one there ever and it’s quick.”
The AMU’s newest offering, Forage Kitchen, has also found its place in the jumble. While students await salads and wraps, the mid-day line can stretch the width of the room, butting against the queues that surround it.
For Emily Mulvenna, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, being off of a meal plan keeps her away from Marquette Place. But occasional return trips are a reintroduction to the chaos.
“Having not been in it for a while [and] coming back, it’s so scary,” Mulvenna said. “You walk in and you don’t know where anything is.”
After students find, order and collect their food, most retreat to an island in the center of the space. The Sodexo atoll holds a collection of drink dispensers, complete with sodas, teas and lemonades. As the beverages pour, the humming of the machines signals a journey nearing its close.
Once the lid snaps on, the register is the final piece of the lunchtime obstacle course.
Students on dining plans pass through with a meal swipe, while the rest pay their exit fare out-of-pocket. Once through, patrons settle at the tables that lie ahead, where they meet up with friends — or spend quality time with their phones.
Sitting among the crowd are students at every experience level. Some have mastered the AMU game while others are still perfecting their playbook. With up to five attempts a week, each taco, sandwich or salad is a stepping stone to a successful lunch run.
This story was written by Lance Schulteis. He can be reached at [email protected].
