Graduate Students of Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) 
 
Dear Dean Professor Douglas Elmendorf 
Through: Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Dean 
CC: President, Kennedy School Student Government (KSSG) 
 
Re: Petition to Request Extended Hours for the HKS Cafe 
 
We hope this message finds you safe and well. 
 
We, the undersigned graduate students at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), are writing to request that the cafe hours be extended until 7:30 PM on weekdays and 3.00 PM on Friday. Our basis of offering these times was based on the schedule of the last classes at HKS on Mondays/Wednesdays and Tuesdays/Thursdays. As the class timings on Fridays deviate from the typical HKS schedule, we propose shorter hours for the HKS cafe. 
 
We propose this change for several practical reasons: 
Limited Healthy Food Options: There are not many good options for a quick meal after 3 PM outside of the HKS campus, especially for those seeking a healthy diet. 
Impact on International Students: International students, in particular, face challenges when their classes extend beyond 3 PM. They often have to rely on more expensive off-campus food options. 
Our preference for longer HKS cafe hours is primarily based on three factors: i) the availability of healthy meal options, ii) the convenience of grab-and-go options, and iii) the cost, which is typically lower than off-campus alternatives. This change would not only meet the immediate needs of students but also address the broader issue of food insecurity among Harvard students. 
We also understand that the cafe at Harvard Law School (HLS), like the HKS cafe, is managed by Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS). The HLS cafe remains open until 7:30 PM/8:00 PM. Therefore, we humbly request that you take the necessary steps to extend the HKS cafe hours until 7:30 PM on weekdays and 3 PM on Fridays, setting a precedent in the Harvard community for addressing food insecurity. 
 
We recognize that this will require adjustments from the HKS administration. We are open to discussing this issue further with you and exploring what is feasible in the short term. We look forward to hearing from you and having a meeting with you (or your appointed person) along with the representative from KSSG on how to move forward. For any questions, please feel free to contact Edmond Kombat (MC/MPA’24) at edmond_kombat@hks.harvard.edu.  
 
Sincerely, 
Graduate Students of HKS