Over the 2014-15 winter break, the Dining and Conference Services team revamped the Dining Hall to increase culinary options and service efficiency. Typically, no change is more immediately noticed than a menu alteration—this seems to be the exception.
Despite the DCS team’s effort to disperse the news through the greeter board located by the main entrance to the cafeteria, many Puget Sound students are unaware of their new options.
“There’s the frozen yogurt machine, that’s new,” first year Jordan Richards said.
Though the bulk of the changes have flown under the radar, the changes remain significant. These modifications include new toppings for the frozen yogurt machine, extended Allergy Free Station smoothie hours and the addition of an array of vegan and vegetarian options.
Loggers tired of the limited ingredients at the salad bar can look forward to doubled offerings and three house-made salad dressings. A second sandwich oven for the Deli station and sandwich-assembling training for new student staff are predicted to decrease wait time for a sandwich, a point of contention for many students.
“I think the most significant [changes] are all the Grab-and-Go [items] in the front of the servery so you can see what we have,” Dining and Conference Services cashier Denise Fliss said. At the Grab-and-Go Station, six new wraps, including a smoked almond and chickpea wrap and an edamame hummus wrap, were added and two breakfast bagels were removed.
Vegan and vegetarian Loggers can look forward to more Dining Hall options, a sore spot for many during the fall 2014 term. The Trail’s Nov. 7 article, “S.U.B. lacks options for vegans and vegetarians,” by Melanie Schaffer outlined the outcry due to the removal of the Veggie Station. The resulting dissatisfaction with a lack of options led many students to resort to cooking their own meals. However, the S.U.B. seems to be turning a new leaf as they’re also adding a daily vegan or vegetarian soup.
“I think Puget Sound has been just picture-perfect about giving tons of options to people of different diets,” first year Peter O’Meara said.
Efficiency in the Dining Hall has increased because of newly acquired appliances like a drain trough for the coffee maker and two added student shifts. “I have noticed it being cleaner,” first year Kyle Miller said.
As the semester progresses, Puget Sound students can take a look at the greeting board and keep an eye out for soon-to-be-erected posters in order to keep up with the Dining Hall changes.
