Following spring break, students were welcomed back to campus with many new renovations to Hamilton’s dining halls. Perhaps most striking at first glance is the repainting of Commons Dining Hall and the addition of flags to the rafters. The space was painted in a light beige color that gives the room a more airy atmosphere. Angeline Schafer, who previously served as the Catering Director for Hamilton for the past 5 years and took over as Director of Operations in Feb., noted a collection of other improvements that have taken place due to the renovations that went beyond aesthetics.
Schafer says that Hamilton, not Parkhurst Dining, was responsible for the decision to repaint the interior of Commons and incorporate flags into the dining hall’s design. However, Parkhurst was involved in some of the recent layout changes. The V2 station of Commons, which serves vegan options, switched places with Inspired Eats, the allergy-friendly station. This switch was requested both by the Hamilton student body and the dining staff at Parkhurst. This change allowed a larger physical buffer zone between the Allergen Friendly station and the rest of the food served. Along with this change, the V2 station is now located next to the grain bowl station, which allows even easier access to vegetarian and vegan foods.
Another small, yet significant change, can be seen in the raising of some of the serving stations. Certain food cages, stalls that food is served from in the dining halls, such as the Commons Spoon and Fork Station, have been elevated a couple extra inches to allow an easier reach to the serving trays for both staff and students when the station is self-service. The implementation of this change aims to make the stations more accommodating and easier to navigate for everyone.
According Schafer, no other renovations are expected to take place between now and the end of the school year, especially with the increase in activities and demands on the dining service in the spring months. However, it is expected that more changes will be coming over the summer months, but details on this are unknown.
Everything up to this point has happened to make the dining experience “friendlier…and easier to navigate,” Schafer says. The hope with these changes is to create a more welcoming space for students to both come together as a community and eat in the dining halls. In order for students to make their voices heard, Schafer encourages students to reach out to Parkhurst through the links posted on fliers in the dining halls, along with coming to the SGA Dining Committee meetings. These meetings are held weekly and open to all. Anything is welcome to be brought to the attention of Parkhurst, from suggestions about potential dishes to comments or concerns about the dining options.
