- the “primal scream” Monday at midnight (to release all tension and frustration built on over the semester, Wes students will emerge from their dorms/libraries/rooms/etc. at the stroke of midnight, screaming at the top of their lungs outside for a full minute – it’s really interesting to be around so many people who are ready for finals!)

- music concerts

- dance performances

- comedy troupe shows

- and much, much more!

It’s that time of the year!!!

CHEERS!

H. Rizk ‘08
Senior Interviewer

We’ll start in the very basement of the building. This, obviously, is the main kitchen. Here is where all the [food] magic happens. Even though this may look like an unfinished Burger King, as Petra’s post about Bon Appetit explains, I’m sure that the food will be far superior.

The ceiling in the ballroom is simply fantastic! Actually, they refurbished the original ceiling. The wooden piece suspended below is there for acoustic reasons, and it also incorporates heating/AC vents.

Here we have the ballroom itself in all of its unfished glory. Since this picture was taken, they have installed the hardwood floor.

Students entered our previous large dining hall, MoConaughy Hall, by walking down into the room. They’ve kept this tradition alive in Usdan (just as the Argus reported) by installing a neato curved stariway connecting the lower and upper dining areas.

There is a really nice patio facing Andrus Field. The builder told us that they plan to put teak dining furniture here, so that students can dine outside.

It may not look like much right now, but this is actually the heart of the beast: the cafeteria, where students will have access to many of the dining options that I mentioned in my previous post about the center.

If you have visited campus, you may have seen these red rafters peeking through the Usdan windows. This room, which I believe is basically complete, will be both a dining room during the day and a multi-purpose space at night.

They really went all out for this building. Yes, these counter tops are marble.

I’ll leave you with this beautiful view of PAC, Olin Library, and Clark Hall!

Hope you’re as excited as I am,
Justin Holzwarth ‘08
Senior Interviewer

This fall our new food service provider, Bon Appétit, will be taking the reins and we’re all super excited about it. 
Bon Appétit’s commitment to providing fresh, organic, and – whenever possible – locally grown food has everyone buzzing and excited for next fall. In addition to their claim of providing delicious and nutritious food, their socially responsible policies are something that all Wesleyan students, faculty and administration can definitely appreciate.

Providing us with fresh, organic food isn’t all that has us excited for Bon Appétit’s arrival in the fall. In the new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan Campus Center, Bon Appétit will offer a great and varied selection of food options.  Some examples of the types of food stations that will be available to students in the fall are:

• an organic pizza and pasta station
• a grill
• a deli
• vegan, vegetarian, and Kosher options
• soups, chowders, and salads

Not only will we have all these choices, but with the completion of our new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan Center, students can grab food from whichever station they’d like and meet up with friends in one of the many dining areas.  It’s the best of both worlds: delicious, fresh food (many with international flair!) and great company.

All of this delicious, fresh, and international food is what Bon Appétit is describing and hopefully they’ll deliver.  It looks promising based on my own first hand experience with their food last week.  Bon Appétit has opened up Pi Café, our on campus fair-trade, organic coffee shop for the summer and my first taste of their food, a Thai Peanut Sauce wrap with tomatoes, lots of greens, cilantro and a spicy peanut sauce, was absolutely delicious.  A few of the other Senior Interviewers have tried the food and their turkey sandwiches were equally delicious.  If a visit to campus is in your near future, Pi Café is open Monday through Friday from 9am-1pm.  Definitely drop by and have some coffee, a croissant, or try a sandwich to get a feel for what food will be like this fall.

To find out more about Bon Appétit, check out their website, and to find out more about Bon Appétit at Wesleyan check out their Wesleyan dining site or ours.

Petra Groeneveldt ‘08
Senior Interviewer

Pretty, yes, but what’s inside? Here’s the official list:

Information Desk