Features
Why is Commons green? (And other pressing questions)
By Molly Geisinger ’19
February 2, 2017
Tags features
As students returned to campus after a month off, some minor changes to their beloved dining halls ushered in a variety of questions. What happened to the pizza in McEwen? Why is Commons now green?
We at The Spectator took your concerns and bewilderments to heart and did some digging.
Reuben Haag, General Manager at Bon Appetit confirmed by email why such changes occurred and what influenced them.
One change that students are quick to notice is when food located in one area of Commons or McEwen suddenly moves to another spot. Take, for example, the weekend brunch waffle machines that moved from the main dining room to the soup-by-day, pasta-by-night serving station.
Perhaps Commons frequenters were wondering why the second toasting station disappeared unexpectedly right before break. Haag reassures students that the newly-restored toaster was only taken away for repair. As for the brunch option relocation, Haag says, “We moved the waffle station into the servery with the other options available for everyone’s convenience and to allow us to maintain it more consistently.”
Might McEwen regulars ponder why the pizza moved to the global foods station? Haag indicates that staff moved the pizza to “provide a better area for condiments and to better utilize some available space.”
Finally, the most puzzling topic of all: Commons’s new coat of paint.
Students may recall the faint yellow that once adorned the walls has now been replaced by a deeper green. Haag consulted Irene Cornish, Director of Auxiliary Services, to find out why.
“The dining area was scheduled to be painted this year. It was due,” he said. “A color was selected that coordinated with the colors used in the servery (which was repainted last year).”
According to Haag, the College used the same design firm they had worked with previously when updating the servery.
Whenever staff reorganizes or repairs the cafes, it is usually at the discretion of those who use them the most: the students.
“The teams that work in the locations are continuously looking for better ways to provide what they either see or hear their customers want,” Haag says. “A lot of the little day to day enhancements are either based on student requests, and item’s popularity or are something we’ve seen that needs to be addressed for various reasons.”
Therefore, student input played a substantial role in the decision. Those “Tell the Chef” corkboards aren’t just a decoration. Students can write in requests, all of which the staff checks on a regular basis. Haag says he and the Bon Appetit staff look at the boards “all the time.” He also notified us of the food committee, with whom he meets regularly.
“Students not part of the food committee are welcome to attend the food commitee meetings. Our chefs and managers are always happy to connect in person with students.”
You heard it, folks. These little changes didn’t come from nowhere; if anything, they came from the student body. So, be careful what you say at the table because you never know who may be listneing. On the other hand, there are plenty of opportunities for your voice to be heard. Attending the food committee, dropping a note on a corkboard, or emailing BAMCO@hamilton.edu are just a few of the ways to influence your dining experience.