Dining hall redecoration efforts will move to North Campus in the coming weeks as part of an initiative by Dining Services to create a more welcoming atmosphere in both campus eateries.
Changes were initiated by Dining Services Director Colleen Wright-Riva, who said she felt that the look of the dining halls needed improvement after she started two semesters ago. Wright-Riva assigned spokesman for Dining Services Bart Hipple and Dining Services’ Graphic Art Designer Raquel Martin to the task of “freshening the diners.”
“I sensed the dining halls were a little cold and uninviting,” Wright-Riva said. “We wanted to create a community environment, make the diners more than just a place to sit and eat, but also a place where students would want to stay and talk with their friends.”
The two had $25,000 to spend on the revamping efforts and did not come close to spending that amount, Wright-Riva said.
Hipple and Martin used the funds to add new artwork, sculptures and plants to the South Campus Dining Hall. In contrast, the North Campus Diner has remained relatively untouched other than a new paint job, which it received over the summer. This will change in the next several weeks as Dining Services plans to expand upon the current theme in the Diner. Dining Services will add new artwork and sculptures to complement the current neon lighting and metal detailing. They also plan to install more booths in the eating area, Hipple said.
So far, student reaction to the changes that have taken place on South Campus ranges from lukewarm to enthusiastic.
“We definitely noticed [the decorations] last week,” sophomore government and politics major Rachel Dotter said. “My friends and I were here commenting on which paintings we liked the best.”
Dotter said she felt the new look of the South Campus Diner displayed Dining Services’ dedication to students.
“I think it shows an overall initiative to improve the dining hall, which I appreciate,” Dotter said.
Some students, however, were not as receptive.
“It’s nothing special; I think it’s kind of a waste, myself,” sophomore letters and sciences major Lake McDonald said.
The last attempt by Dining Services to revamp the dining halls occurred last semester, when the department rolled out two large carpets worth $350 each that read “Feed the Turtle” in the South Campus Dining Hall. The carpets lasted a few days before one was stolen. Though it was eventually returned, Dining Services officials are wary of the new decorations meeting a similar fate.
“Most of the people that come to the Diner are returning customers and don’t want to have a bad experience in a place that they come back to every day,” he said.
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