Hundreds of students are protesting the close of Simmons Dining Hall through Facebook and a "Help Save Simmons" paper petition.

Simmons employee Shawn Rogacs said Wednesday that a student requested a petition be started in an attempt to protest the closing. He agreed and set one up Tuesday night, he said.

He estimates there are more than 1,000 names on the petition.

"It's a shame," Rogacs said. "Almost everyone who comes in has signed it."

On Monday, Housing and Food Services officials confirmed Simmons Dining Hall is scheduled to close at the end of the spring semester. Dorm rooms will be built in the former dining hall, a response to the constantly-increasing demand for on-campus housing, Housing Director Conal Carr said.

The Department of Housing and Food Services did not have any additional comment regarding the pending changes on Wednesday.

Students coming in for lunch on Wednesday stopped to sign the petition sitting at Simmons' front desk.

Ansley Sawyer said she is disappointed to see the dining hall close. It was the closest to a home-cooked meal she could find at school, Sawyer (freshman-liberal arts) said.

Some students responded to the confirmation through Facebook, creating a group called "Save Simmons Dining Hall!" which had attracted more than 1,000 members by Wednesday. Some students said they had heard rumors about the dining hall closing as early as a few weeks ago.

Zach Hostetler said he heard a rumor about the closing last week from his roommate and was upset by the news.

"Personally, I'm going to be very disappointed if there isn't a dining hall dedicated to healthy eating," Hostetler (sophomore-biochemistry and molecular biology) said.

Sahba Oboudiyat, Hostetler's roommate, said while the decision may be unfortunate, he understands the need for more residential space to be satisfied.

"I'm not happy," Oboudiyat (sophomore-biology) said. "But they gotta do what they gotta do."