On the Loss of a Lively Mall and How UD can Bring It Back
The University of Dallas Mall is dead. Anyone who sets foot on campus understands this, even the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen.
When classes get out, the Mall fills with students, only to empty again within ten minutes as they rush off to their next class. What has happened to this integral aspect of UD life?
There are many theories concerning the lack of “Mall culture,” but the most glaring cause of this death is the loss of communal outdoor eating.
From the beginning of mankind, humans have eaten in groups as a social activity. Since it is one of our most important daily habits, we use our socialness to create an enjoyable time when we eat.
Since upperclassmen tend not to eat in the cafeteria, they lack this opportunity to meet the new freshmen and get to know the sophomores. In previous years, this divorce between upper and lower classmen was greatly reduced when those who ate in the cafeteria could take their food outside of the dining hall.
Upperclassmen would either bring their lunch or simply sit with friends on the Mall, socially engaging with all levels of undergraduates.
When those on the meal plan ate outside, they created a critical mass of people sitting in leisure for an extended period of time, allowing for a crowd of people to generate. This eating outside caused upperclassmen who were walking by to stop and chat with different groups, instead of immediately leaving campus.
Now that our ability to engage in one of the most social activities—that is, partaking in a meal together—is absent from our most social area, the chance for younger and older students to meet has dissipated. The loss of eating outside has hampered the passing on of the UD spirit, which is essential to the survival of our school’s unique identity.
One might ask whether or not Friday “Music on the Mall” brings more people out to socialize on our Mall. As of yet, the crowd that remains on the Mall after everyone’s journey to class seems to diminish to numbers much lower than those of previous years.
Because the underclassmen must eat inside the cafeteria, the crowd of students that in years past had stayed on the Mall for the entire lunch hour has now dwindled to a few students chatting on their way to something else or attempting to study at the tables outside Haggar.
Aside from ridding ourselves of Aramark’s ‘no outside eating’ policy, we can still find hope in this bleak situation. Disposable dishware or outdoor dishcarts could be ways that Aramark and UD students could reach a compromise.
Further, events like Bilbo Baggins’ Birthday party on the Mall highlight how one might help revive our Mall culture, as it provided food and entertainment, bringing out many UD students on a quiet Sunday evening.
In order to not lose our special Mall life, we, as a student body, must take greater effort in preserving this amazing social aspect of our UD experience. This requires spending extra time on the Mall and hosting Mall-specific events to revive our companionship in the noble pursuit of truth that defines UD.