2008 Woodie Awards
Dining Services Alters Menus, Schedules
Schuyler Clemente
Issue date: 2/3/05 Section: News
Several new changes to Smith's dining system went into effect at the beginning of the Spring 2005 semester. Though many of these alterations simply involve changes in hours, some of the changes have gotten more attention from students returning from break, namely the movement of vegan/vegetarian dining from Hubbard to King/Scales.Kathy Zieja, director of Dining Services, said that most of the changes came from student feedback in many different forms. "The communications group met every week through the first semester to address all the different concerns that were raised with the new dining program," Zieja said. "Other ways [of giving feedback] would just be students talking to staff or staff themselves talking with their managers and me."
The move of vegan and vegetarian dining to King/Scales from Hubbard was one of the most prominent and controversial changes in dining this semester. Due to the popularity of the new meal option last semester, the Hubbard dining room was often overflowing with students during mealtimes, leaving Dining Services pressed to find a new venue.
"Ideally I would love to have a central campus location, but we were really stymied to get a dining area that would comfortably fit the numbers that we were seeing," Zieja said. "Many students voiced that if it had to move to the Quad, the closest Quad dining room that would hold it would be King/Scales."To assist with the transition, Ann Finley, the manager of the Hubbard dining room last semester, moved to King/Scales this semester.
Instead of reverting back to traditional meals, Hubbard now serves "Healthy Options," a menu with lighter fare that was served at Chase/Duckett last semester.
Residents of King/Scales, as well as other students in the Quad, voiced concern over the appropriateness of vegan/vegetarian dining in that location when the option was proposed last semester. One specific concern was that there are not very many vegans in those houses, and vegans on other parts of campus who had eaten at Hubbard would not want to walk out to the Quad.
The move of vegan and vegetarian dining to King/Scales from Hubbard was one of the most prominent and controversial changes in dining this semester. Due to the popularity of the new meal option last semester, the Hubbard dining room was often overflowing with students during mealtimes, leaving Dining Services pressed to find a new venue.
"Ideally I would love to have a central campus location, but we were really stymied to get a dining area that would comfortably fit the numbers that we were seeing," Zieja said. "Many students voiced that if it had to move to the Quad, the closest Quad dining room that would hold it would be King/Scales."To assist with the transition, Ann Finley, the manager of the Hubbard dining room last semester, moved to King/Scales this semester.
Instead of reverting back to traditional meals, Hubbard now serves "Healthy Options," a menu with lighter fare that was served at Chase/Duckett last semester.
Residents of King/Scales, as well as other students in the Quad, voiced concern over the appropriateness of vegan/vegetarian dining in that location when the option was proposed last semester. One specific concern was that there are not very many vegans in those houses, and vegans on other parts of campus who had eaten at Hubbard would not want to walk out to the Quad.