There is a place on campus where you can get hamburgers, sandwiches, chicken wraps, salads, pizza and beer all in one place. Unfortunately, the place is only open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays.

The Bucket Grill & Pub is always full with students who are getting food and beer on their lunch breaks. The problem is the limited hours of operation also limit which students can go.

There are, of course, other food options on campus for students. But why is The Bucket open for such a short period?

Why aren’t we allowed to get a burger in the morning or a beer in the evening if we so choose?

Sure, there are places just off campus to get burgers and beer, but The Bucket’s limited hours just don’t make sense.

In years past, The Bucket was open until late at night. What’s changed?

There is literally a bar in front of the keg taps which could have bar stools for patrons. The Bucket was clearly designed as a bar but it’s trying its hardest not to be one.

Perhaps drinking beer became an issue, but that’s why real bars monitor how much people are drinking and cut them off if needed.

Maybe the issue is the fact that University High School is right on our campus, but the hours of operation now include the time when its when students are on lunch. It’s not like the high school students would be allowed to drink.

It’s possible the concern is that students and professors will have too large of a window to get drunk on campus.

But the time frame already allots plenty of time for people to get drunk. It’s not like students are going to hang out inside for nine hours.

If The Bucket was open all day, it would be much more profitable. It would be able to serve a student population that isn’t on campus during the lunchtime rush.

The Bucket could employ full-time staffers who don’t bounce around to the other eateries on campus. The staff would become a fixture and people would get to know them.

It would give The Bucket the opportunity to become a more hip place to go. Right now, it feels more like a cafeteria than a pub.

With the increased foot traffic, there would be money to include a breakfast menu as well as an increased beer selection that includes rotating seasonal brews. Plus, The Bucket’s increased revenue would pay its staffing budget.

The Residential Dining Hall closes at 8 p.m., if The Bucket stayed open until midnight or later, that would give it the opportunity to be the go-to food and drink place on campus after hours for students living in the dorms.

Personally, I only see positives with expanding the hours of The Bucket. It would benefit both us and them.