Dining Services has done a commendable job listening to student input in its ongoing changes, as exemplified in Wednesday’s Town Hall meeting. Dining changes should be checked by student input at every possible opportunity, and thus far Dining Services is doing exactly that.
The Pit has seen the greatest changes. The new salad bar, especially, considerably enhances the quality of food in Wilson Commons; whereas last semester the healthiest option at the Pit was pizza salad, it is now possible for students to order just greens for a meal. Dining Services also brought back hot breakfast, largely due to student outcries.
On the other hand, Dining Services seems to have forgotten last year’s hot dinners at the Pit, which, during their test run on Mondays in March were extremely popular. While it could not be a permanent station, there’s no reason Dining Services can’t build upon its success by expanding it to last, in some fashion, throughout the year. The Pit has also limited pizza salads to Fridays. Such a small food court should present every available option to students and pizza salads are no exception.
Danforth Dining Center has also seen some major modifications. The introduction of a vegetarian station, similar to the Vegan station in Douglass Dining Center, has made eating vegetarian easier, although it’s still not problem free students with special dietary needs, especially those who are lactose intolerant, still have noticeable trouble eating on River Campus. Additionally, the sacrifice of the Stir Fry Station for more food options in Danforth seems a high price to pay for most students, and Dining Services should consider finding room for such a widely popular station.
Dining’s long-term plan should continue to take into account student input, especially in regard to satisfying those with special dietary needs, and should aim to expound upon the changes that are already popular among the student body.
