Kent State dining halls will reopen dining options starting Jan. 31, despite the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across campus.

“We will be fully back to normal,” said Gary Goldberg, assistant vice president for student engagement. “The science tells us the situation on this campus is improving. We have enough positive trends for university leadership to make that call of going back to normal.”

Despite the first week of the semester having one of the highest number of COVID cases this school year, Goldberg still had a positive attitude on the school’s decision.

“I think that the university’s measures and the compliance of the students and staff has put us in a better position than a lot of other schools,” Goldberg said.

Students can still choose the to-go options if they prefer. The university is even beginning to roll out a reusable take-out container soon, in addition to the paper ones to try to reduce the amount of paper used and to be a little more environmentally friendly.

The dining halls will continue to be open at the same hours of operation. The halls will also follow the same COVID-19 protocols as last semester.

“I know students missed getting a coffee and finding a chair in the library with their friend,” Goldberg said. “So it’ll be nice to have things back to normal.”

Ty Kohler is a Reporter. Contact him at [email protected].