With the varying weather that Southern California often experiences, students on campus are often finding themselves at a loss when trying to find a place to eat their meals in a sheltered location.

“Over the past few years students have asked me where they can sit down and eat. Unless I am mistaken I don’t think there is an indoor eating facility here at El Camino College,” Barbara Budrovich, Writing Center/Computer Lab Director and Professor of English, said.

Thomas E. Brown, director facilities planning and services said that “In 2002, there was a bond passed that modernized the Natural Science Building, the Humanities Building and reconstruction of the Bookstore and conference center.”

According to the EC website, last year “the board of  trustees of the El Camino College District voted on July 16, to place Measure E, a $350 million facilities bond measure, on the 2012 November ballot.”

The website goes on to say that Measure E is being utilized to “expand labs, upgrade outdated electrical systems and wiring, green energy for savings, up-to-date classroom technology, improve facilities for veterens veterans, health and safety improvements and additional classrooms.”

“I’m very disappointed that neither bond measure has had a dining commons in their master plan. A few years ago at a flex meeting, they had a facilities seminar and the facilities workers were there to ask questions regarding the old bond measure,” Budrovich said. “And I asked at that meeting if there were ever any plans for this bond to cover a cafeteria or is there any plans in the future and the former facilities manager said no.”

The bond measure covered all the areas of the campus in which the main infrastructures needed repair. But the bond failed to acknowledge how these facilties can accomodate the students.

“I don’t know why the dining facility was taken away from atop the bookstore, those renovations were done with the prior facilities director,” Thomas said. “It really wasn’t being used then.” Thomas said. “But student out learning has changed and maybe there is a need for an indoor dining facility. If people do feel the need to address this issue there is a process in which you must notify the bond oversight committee.”

Eileen Liu, 18, political science major, comments on the difficulty she runs into when trying to find a place to simultaneously eat and do her schoolwork.

“Sometimes I can’t really find a spot within the campus where I can comfortably eat and read my book for an assignment. It would be nice if they added a building for a cafeteria, It would keep the school cleaner,” Liu said.

Budrovich said that she had sent President Tom Fallo an email expressing her concerns and those of her fellow colleagues as well as students. She has yet to hear a reply.

“It really minimizes or limits congeniality which is a huge factor that this school prides itself on and that’s not happening, (I’m) very disappointed,” said Budrovich.

Attempts were made to Fallo’s office but he was unavailable for comment.