By Valentina Steen and Samuel Rubenfeld
The University’s recent campus-wide renovations are prominent in the Student Center Cafe, which reopened just before the start of the school year. The University spent $1.1 million on paint, tiles, tables, chairs and eateries, according to University officials.
Joseph Barkwill, vice president of Facilities and Operations , and Vice President of Student Affairs Sandy Johnson strove to continue the modern look also visible in the New Academic Building, last fall’s new addition to campus. They intended to create a design that would bring light to areas that looked “aged and dark.”
The front dining area features four-to-six-person tables placed close together with high, immovable stools and lamps creating a stark effect. Not all members of the University community are pleased with the new front dining area. An alumna, who wished to remain anonymous and is handicapped, was disappointed that the higher tables were inaccessible to her. The two tables low enough for handicapped students to access face a blank wall and offer space for ten seats. “The whole idea is impersonal,” she said.
“[We] feel that there was a need for change with the better structured tables, but [we] don’t like that the [lower] tables are secluded” said Corey and Eric Ryan, sophomore twins who use motorized wheelchairs.
Barkwill and Johnson said that they found a consensus of University students calling for a lounge setting and accordingly chose colors and light fixtures to create a bright, cozy atmosphere. The administrators also visited the student centers of nearby universities such as NYU, SUNY Stony Brook and Columbia University to garner design ideas from the layout of their dining areas.
The front section of the dining area is not intended to foster large groups of students “lounging” between classes, according to Barkwill. “It’s so hard to sit three people at those tables,” said Brandie Sanford, sophomore pre-law student. “The lamps ruin any conversation.”
While the front area provides seating for individuals to “grab-and-go”, the back cafeteria offers a more welcoming venue for students to hang out, including more comfortable seating. “The back is better than last year,” said Danielle Wood, a sophomore dance and psychology major.
Lydia Plieman, a junior studying broadcast journalism was at the University all summer and observed the early stages of the transformation. “The space is awkwardly used,” Plieman said, adding that she does not feel students opinions were taken into consideration.
In addition to major aesthetic changes, the food options available have also been revamped. Grabbing a slice of Sbarro pizza in the atrium at 1 a.m. is no longer an option; Maui Tacos, a Mexican fast food eatery with a Hawaiian twist, will open in the location that previously housed Sbarro. However, the pizza option, essential to any college campus, will remain. Pizza Express will take the place of Nature’s Organic Grille, which moved inside the cafe.
To make room for the Grille, Dutch Twist, the pretzel station, was consolidated with Scoops and Juice event, which are now open until 11 p.m. Pura Vida coffee, boasting Fair Trade organic products and a living wage for employees where the coffee grows, replaced Burlaps coffee. The new coffee establishment reflects an organic, environmentally conscious trend that is a fixture in the new modern design and the dining options on campus.
“It’s okay,” said Wood. “I’ve kind of got mixed emotions. I miss having Sbarro there.”
Students sit in the newly redesigned main dining room of the Student Center. (Jacqueline Hlavenka/The Chronicle)
Hofstra’ logo, new to the main dining room in the Student Center