The University's desire to invest in a salable asset to prospective students and to offset competition from local restaurants for the students' dollars created the need for a complete renovation of the existing dining hall and servery. The meal plan for a set price is no longer in effect, and the students are now able to charge their meals against a pre-paid amount in their accounts (the declining balance system) or to purchase items with cash. The result of this competitive spirit is a greater variety of food, longer opening hours, and better surroundings.
Because it is tied into the main stream of traffic with the Student Union at the intersection of the academic and residential halves of the campus, the dining hall has become a social center for the use of not just the people who are purchasing food but of anyone who wants to use it for gatherings or entertainment. Informal performances take place at the proscenium end of the dining hall, which is framed by balconies with previously unattainable views through the clerestory windows to Sleeping Giant State Park. A variety of spaces are created by the use of these balconies: some are large and open, others are small with low ceilings. A low-ceilinged "café" overlooks the activity of the village street, the University's main pathway. Private dining rooms on the mezzanine level can be opened for general use or shut off from the rest of the dining area for privacy.
Photography © Paul Warchol