Written by Alicia Bones
Meal plans are mandatory, so mealtime is an inescapable event for the entire campus. The two former dining halls on campus, Jason Downer Commons and Lucinda’s, as well as the greasy spoon, The Grill, recently closed following the opening of the Warch Campus Center in fall 2009. The campus center dining promises to be an improvement to the often fatty and heavy food served on campus now. The campus center includes a coffeehouse, a café, a convenience store, and an all-you-can-eat buffet. The new food services are also open much later, seven days a week, which is another improvement to current often inconvenient hours.
Lawrence has brought in an outside food provider, Bon Appetit, for the first time, as well. The provider to other Midwestern colleges, Macalester and Carleton, the company is a sustainable food service. The “green” commitment of the company includes buying fresh, local produce, no frozen meats or produce, and a greater cooperation with SLUG (Sustainable Lawrence University Gardens). Nearly all the food is prepared in front of students so they can both make suggestions to the chef, as well as personalize the food.