As of late, Pittsburgh has been a city of renovations. Stretches of road are often closed or condensed down to one lane because of construction. Communal areas such as Market Square have been shut down for months while workers finish the new glass structure in the center of it.

The new UPMC Presbyterian Tower in Oakland has been under construction since June 2022, enough for some students to have started and ended college without seeing the building completed.

Because of the inconveniences caused by these projects, it was natural for students to hold their breath in anticipation of how the Hogan Glow-Up project would affect them and their eating.

However, the plan implemented by the university and its leaders has actually made it more convenient for students.

Students now have expanded access to a variety of locations, with some of those locations having longer operating hours.

Because of these expanded hours, students whose break periods typically don’t line up with dining hall hours now always have an option. Students who have class until 3 p.m., when Hogan would typically close for an hour, and then have to scarf down food when it reopened at 4 p.m. before their next class at 4:25, no longer have to worry. In addition to this, students have been given much more freedom for how to use their meal swipes.

Instead of the typical four per day with a wait in between, students can now use up to 10 per day with no wait time at most locations. Students with awkward schedules can now load up on food multiple times before a long stretch of classes, and students who want to eat 10 Chick-fil-A sandwiches a day can do so if that’s what they want.

They can also use these swipes at more locations with the addition of food trucks parked on A Walk. The new variety of options give that area of campus an Oakland-like feel, a welcome change, even if it is only for a few weeks.

Another positive side effect of this is that students without meal plans can get swiped in by their friends. This is extremely helpful, especially to commuters who may have forgotten or run out of time to pack a meal.

If students without a meal plan don’t have anybody to swipe them in, they can still utilize the cheaper prices, such as $10 for an all you can eat dinner at the River City Grill in the Union, which would normally cost $16.

The only possible downside to these changes is that places like the Unico Pavillion and the food trucks are somewhat weather dependent. However, this has not proven to be an issue yet.

For students who have not yet tried “Outdoor Hogan” or “Ballroom Hogan,” give it a shot. You may find them to be worth the money.