Students have been discussing the potential formation of a task force to consider restrictions on food deliveries to campus. The Phillipian reached out to several Deans and administrators who declined to comment on the possibility, and no formal announcement of a task force has been made.
Many students shared how food delivery apps like DoorDash have become an important part of their routine. To Angelina Vincent ’26, delivery services are a matter of convenience. In particular, Vincent highlighted how many students rely on DoorDash during the colder months when walking to Paresky Commons (Paresky) or downtown for a meal can be difficult.
“In the fall and spring, nobody really orders because the weather’s nice and you can go downtown with your friends. But in the winter, it’s really cold and people don’t want to take the time to walk to [Paresky]. The food is also generally the worst during the winter, and so DoorDash is the most used in the winter,” said Vincent.
For Natalie Giancola ’28, access to food delivery is essential during demanding academic weeks. She noted that for students with specific dietary needs, food delivery provides access to meals that Paresky may not always accommodate, highlighting that a task force would need to consider a broad range of student experiences. Giancola also acknowledged that one reason for implementing a policy could be campus safety.
“Last year, I had a really busy schedule because I was, at one point in the winter, participating in three different theatre shows, leaving me no time to get dinner because [Paresky] closes at seven p.m. During those times, I would use DoorDash a lot to order my dinner late at night. [Administrators] need to pay attention to the different perspectives of students and the different experiences that they might have. For example, their dietary needs, their busy schedules… They should consult more students when making these policies, to ensure that they’re creating the fairest policy possible to actually address the problem without neglecting the students’ lives at Andover,” said Giancola.
Giancola continued, “I understand where the policy is coming from in terms of campus safety and restricting the drivers that are driving down campus roads later at night… They don’t want so many drivers going around campus as people who aren’t a part of the [Andover] community. Driving late at night, especially to dorms that are in the center of campus, such as Bartlet [Hall] and Foxcroft [Hall], they have to go down Great Quad Road, which also doubles as a sidewalk. It’s a safety issue.”
Taking into account the new cell phone policy’s aim to foster connection, Bill Ke ’27 noted that a food delivery restriction might be implemented with a similar goal.
“With the phone policy presented, the school is doing things that improve the environment. I understand where they’re coming from and the argument that removing access to [food delivery services] will help people become more social and actually eat in [Paresky] with their friends,” said Ke.
