After weeks of some students misusing the Saluki Grill in Trueblood, University Housing is changing the grill’s hours of operation starting today, a housing official said.

Some student workers at the Grill said the new hours of the service will make it impossible for them to work there.

Director of Housing Edward L. Jones said the Grill is a way to serve students’ constantly changing eating patterns and to provide a continuous food service, but this was unclear to some people.

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The main problems are people buying non-food items on their meal card, such as laundry detergent, and buying bulk items that do not meet a meal equivalency, Jones said. A hamburger, fries and soda is a meal equivalency, not a six-pack of soda or a large bag of chips.

Jones said the move to lesser hours is an attempt to keep the grill from being so busy and be able to keep an eye on how people are trying to pay for the non-grill items.

The grills were being constantly overrun, Jones said. Most people recognized the grill as an alternative to the cafeteria and were using it properly. But some people were abusing the grill and the purpose for it. Adjustments had to be made.

The grill will now be closed during the day and will open from 5 to 11 p.m.

Tracy Beaty, a junior of Benton, Ill., are very concerned about the grill’s new hours.

I can’t believe they’re closing the grill down during the day. It is always so busy, Beaty said. This really came out of the blue. They told us Friday that the grill won’t be open during the day Tuesday. I really don’t know what I’m going to do because I have another job and I can’t work nights. Jones said he does not want anyone to lose their job, and there are still opportunities for those who can only work daytime hours.

If workers have a problem with the new hours, I know some of the cafeterias are still hiring, Jones said. I don’t want anyone to lose their job over the hours change.

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The Trueblood cafeteria closes at 6:30 p.m., and the grill is open later to serve those who can’t attend the cafeteria’s operation times.

The grill will overlap the cafeteria for a little while in the evening, Jones said. But the main thing was to provide students with the most opportunity to eat.

Jones said the time change at the grill needs to be done to help defuse some of the problems as well as meet the changing needs of the students.

We are looking at changes in student’s eating patterns. You see it everywhere from people eating on the go to the junk food addict, Jones said. Today it seems like eating patterns are changing everyday. We have to try to meet these various demands.