With increased residency on the Hill and the resultant budgetary
constraints, Dining Services will likely not be able to organize as
many themed events for residents this year.
In recent years, Dining Services has offered several special
events each year for on-campus residents, including themed dinners
and the Carnival of Desserts.
For themed dinners, dining hall menus changed once a quarter for
one night to include specialty items not usually served, such as
steak, shrimp or Hawaiian barbecue.
The Carnival of Desserts was an event held in Sunset Village and
the Sproul turnaround, which served a wide array of treats, such as
cotton candy and caramel apples.
Last year, the event also hosted giveaways, including a
Volkswagen Beetle.
But Charles Wilcots, assistant director of Dining Services, said
Dining Services will not be able to offer the themed dinners every
quarter. Dining Services will be able to plan for at least one
event this year.
In addition to this change, a seven-year contract between Dining
Services and Pepsi, which included funding for the Carnival of
Desserts, expired last year.
When a new contract was finalized, funding for the carnival was
not included, Wilcots said.
He said Dining Services’ goal was to keep costs as low as
possible for students.
Pepsi provides fountain drink machines in the dining halls as
well as vending machines in the residence halls.
Every year, Dining Services must “evolve” to keep
pace with the population on the Hill, meaning themed events must
also be reconsidered, Wilcots said.
Though Wilcots said Dining Services is currently planning at
least one themed event for later this year, there was no deadline
or timetable specified for plans.
Wilcots added that there are no solid plans for the events yet,
but that Dining Services will work with students to formulate
changes.
Several students have expressed interest in themed events, the
future of which are now in question.
“It was the only time the monotony of the menu is
broken,” said Jessica Kellogg, a second-year English
student.
Paul Lee, a third-year sociology student, said he used to look
forward to themed dinners because the food is of a greater quality
than it normally is.
Dining Services has dealt with the increased residency by
extending the hours at Bruin Cafe to keep the restaurant open
continuously from 7 a.m. to midnight.
Housing Director Michael Foraker has said the cost of operating
Bruin Cafe continuously was much less than extending the hours of a
full-service dining hall.
Extending the hours at Bruin Cafe also served the needs of
students adequately.
The extended hours require increases in utility usage and wage
payment for employees, which can be a drain on dining service
funding.