For this year’s second Town Hall Meeting on Oct. 18, director of Dining and Auxiliary Services Cam Schauf gave a presentation on the future of dining in Wilson Commons. In this meeting he discussed the goals of campus dining, what has already been done this year to promote those goals and potential plans for the future.
“It is a lot easier if you paint a picture for people of what you see the future looking like,” Schauf said. “People can see it and say ‘yeah that makes sense’ or ‘that makes sense but can we go this direction instead’ we really thought we need to make these things come alive, and that’s where this presentation comes from.”
The plans laid out included ideas for the three major dining halls, Danforth Dining Center, Douglass Dining Center and the Pit.
In Danforth, plans include changing seating arrangements and making it more comfortable. There are also ideas to repaint the room and improve the lighting to make it less dark and more home-like. Lastly, there are plans for implementing continuous service and creating a take-out option for the fall of 2007.
Douglass is to be replaced by a “multi-concept marketplace.” This market will include an Italian Market with brick oven pizza and pasta, a Farmer’s Market featuring local produce, a Boar’s Head Deli, made to order salads, home meal replacements, a hot and cold bar, grab and go items, a grocery section and kosher items. This market will replace the corner store as well.
Many of the features currently found in Douglass will be moved to the Pit.
The plans to improve the facilities begin with the renovation of Danforth and then the simultaneous changing over of the Pit and Douglass.
“If we refresh the dining room so it is homier and more relaxing in Danforth, we can then concentrate on doing total renovation of Wilson and Douglass,” Schauf said. “We can’t do one without the other, we have to do it at the same time.”
There was also a plan laid out for a Starbucks to move into the Hive where the Club Express currently is. According to Schauf, the Starbucks business plan is the only plan near completion.
Student reaction to the changes was positive overall, however some students did voice concerns about Starbucks moving into the Hive.
“I really don’t think we need more coffee on this campus,” sophomore Chris Olsen said. “Plus, I really like the Mel Express and I don’t want to see that replaced.”
However, some students are excited about Starbucks.
“I’m so excited, I work at a Starbucks at home, I love working there and I think they are a great addition to our campus,” sophomore Katie Koeblitz said.
So far, this presentation has been given about six times to students and administration close to the student body. Dining services wants to continue to get feedback from students as they move along with their plans.
“We want the process to be really open so we don’t miss anything,” Schauf said. “If we make the plan on our own we’ll miss stuff – the more input we get the more buy-in we’ll get and the less stuff we’ll miss.”Jarrett is a member of the class of 2009.
