Overcrowded Ware Hall: the Art of Timing

Uncover the truth behind the overcrowded Ware Hall: are remedies possible?

Illustration by Katherine Deng

Drrrrrrrrrrr! Upon the ringing of class bells, crowds of students form a seemingly unending line at Ware Hall. The stacks of backpacks, jumbled upon one another, block the pathways. Scenes of chaos, marked by constant line-cuts, complaints about the food, and the fights for seats, have become the norm. Indeed, the tumultuous image of the Ware Hall seems to have already settled in students’ hearts as an inherent part of “Middlesex Tradition.”

Putting the long lines to get food aside, it’s important to investigate the truth behind Ware Hall’s “overcrowdedness.” Reflecting on past week’s lunchtimes at Ware Hall, the overcrowding issue may be more of an exaggeration than a fact. A welcomed addition to the new schedule—the X-Block period (25 minutes attached after the normal block period)–staggers student arrival times. As every academic day before the Lunch Block contains X-Block, the schedule effectively disperses students and faculty population, and minimizes overcrowding. Even on Thursday, where X-Block is absent, the schedule manages to incorporate “chapel chorus” block, reducing more than 100 visits to lunch on the day. 

While Ware Hall's dire situation may be exaggerated, students and faculty members still harbor many concerns about the situation. Others have solutions: in the words of Matthew DeGreeff, Dean of College Counseling, eating lunch at the dining hall is “all about the art of timing.” Indeed, the importance of lunch lies in the ability to build meaningful connections. Yet the tight lunch schedule and the exhausting job of fighting for seats can undermine the very essence of lunch. As Mr. Tolfree reflects, “the meal is way more enjoyable when we have more time and space.” 

The decision to reconstruct Ware Hall, one of the proposed solutions to this problem, is impossible in the next few years. While Middlesex has repeatedly discussed the renovations to Ware Hall to accommodate a larger student and faculty population, the administration is currently focused on the construction of the new Field House in Acorn, which already requires significant investment of funding. Instead, introducing a new schedule change, such as rotating lunch block periods, is a more practical alternative. As providing a convenient campus experience remains a goal of Middlesex School, the administration should commit to perfecting even the small flaws of the school, including the lunchtime experience. 

Matthew Yoon