Soft-serve, new style mark changes to campus dining
Jess Dolan '10
Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Features
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This semester, we are confronted with a new layout in both Chase and Emerson. A soft-serve machine and a stir-fry station have been added to Emerson Dining Hall. Chase re-opened this fall with new bold colors painted in round, which coordinate with the color scheme in Chase Square.
Both dining halls also include more live cooking stations. Live cooking stations tend to add a sense of freshness to the food by continuously serving small batches of the item instead of one communal tray.
John Bragel, director of Dining Services, notes that these changes were made upon evaluation of the Dining Services surveys that are distributed bi-annually. It has been four years since the demise of the previous soft serve machine, but the request for re-installment has been made often by the students. Since the soft-serve machine has been re-instated, it has quickly become a favorite dessert option among the community.
One freshman comments that she is impressed with the array of dining options, but at the same time jokes that she is a "bit concerned about the extensive dining hall hours, which make eating at any hour of the day a bit too convenient." Luckily, those concerned about the dreaded 'freshman 15' receive some direction with the newly placed signs, noting the healthy choices in the dining halls.
One of Dining Services' goals for the upcoming year is to have more 'spirit-lifters', such as theme meals (past themes have included the Red Sox and Thanksgiving), DJs, ice carvings and other festive events.
Bragel says that he wants to provide students with a time to "unwind and take some of the pressure off from studying" with these theme events. One such event is the International Guest Chef series in early October, which will feature a Scottish chef.
Dining Services has teamed up with student groups, such as Hillel, in the past to host theme events in Chase and Emerson, by working together to develop a dinner menu and serving samplings of traditional cuisine.
John Bragel continues to look for clubs that are interested in collaborating with Dining Services and would like to inform the campus community about a particular culture in a celebratory way.
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