During university President Wallace Loh’s first State of the Campus address in 2010, he famously stated athletics are the university’s front porch, drawing in donors and prospective students alike. That may be true for Loh, but current and future students will likely agree on one thing: The kitchen is just as important.
Dining Services has come a long way in recent years, especially with the construction of 251 North, the university’s newest dining hall. The gourmet all-you-can-eat diner is wildly popular among students for its wide selection of food. It features five separate stations – a grill station, a salad bar, an Italian food center and two deli kitchens; one serving Vietnamese-style sandwiches and Asian noodles, while the other offers open-faced hot sandwiches. At the beginning of the year, more than 800 students were being served each night and officials expect that number has gone up since.
The food might be delicious, but it’s pricey: Each meal costs $18 and while North Campus residents are allotted one 251 North meal per week, South Campus residents can go just four times a semester.
So while it’s great 251 North is thriving and North Campus students are leaving the dining hall once a week fat and happy, South Campus residents are left with the decades-old South Campus Dining Hall. The food is definitely edible, but it’s nowhere near the quality or quantity of 251 North.
It didn’t take long for South Campus residents to start feeling slighted by the dining options on their side of the campus. Luckily, Dining Services has risen to the challenge once again this semester to make the food better down south.
In February, Dining Services announced it would debut some 251 North meals – including grilled rosemary thyme chicken over chicken chorizo penne pasta and seared pork with ancho chili, mushrooms, tomatoes and corn tortillas – in the North and South Campus dining halls as value meals, letting other students taste the 251 North delicacies.
And Dining Services continued with positive news this week when officials announced, starting Monday, the South Campus Dining Hall will stay open from 7 to 9 p.m, a welcome change from the current two-hour gap between the end of dinner and the start of late night. It’s a hassle for busy students who can’t eat dinner until late in the evening. Closing the only diner on South Campus at such a critical time often forces students to shop at the Commons Shop or venture to Route 1 for food that isn’t covered in a dining plan.
But after the Residence Hall Association took their concerns to Dining Services officials, a plan was drafted within a month to extend the hours. The pasta bar will remain open until 7:30 p.m. and the pizza station, bakery and ice cream station, salad bar and sandwich stations will be open through late night. It’s a big relief for South Campus residents, knowing they no longer have to rush to the dining hall to get an adequate meal.
By increasing the availability and quality of food, Dining Services is doing a lot more than simply keeping current students happy; officials are helping ensure the university looks attractive to prospective students from every aspect.
And just like all students know, the quality of food on a college campus is often just as important as the quality of academic programs. Dining Services has seen great success at 251 North, and it’s encouraging to see officials taking steps to better the quality of other dining halls as well.
Now that we know the kitchen is in good hands, let’s get back to work on that front porch.
