By SAMUEL SHEA
They actually did it, by Jove! To the excitement (and dismay) of the student body, the dining hall formerly known as Commons has moved from Chapin Hall to The Powerhouse and has been unofficially dubbed “Commolton’s” in what is truly an expert display of wordplay.
For senior students, there was a somber tone during their last few meals in Chapin. They had spent countless hours in this space with beloved friends, many of whom had come and gone. They laughed, they cried, and they made fun of the sports fellas. Sure, they complained about the food, but this was truly their space. Many seniors feared the change, worrying that a simple shift in scenery would fail to provide significant improvements while erasing what is one of the most memorable spaces on campus. Two weeks and fourteen swipes into the Spring ‘25 semester, how is campus feeling about such a drastic change?
“Okay,” seems to be the prevailing answer, but to gain a deeper understanding of Commolton’s reception, a whopping thirty-ish students were surveyed using a hastily thrown together Google form. It should be noted that it was sent out to a much larger group, but a majority did not participate in the survey – they know who they are and are thought less of.
Of the few model citizens that participated, roughly 85% claimed that the quality of the food had improved. Woah, Nelly! Some good results for the kitchen. However, only 70% of students claimed that they were happier with the new dining hall overall, with 82% claiming that the new location is less convenient. In fact, despite the majority agreement that the food is tastier, the average rating for the new space is a mere 3 stars. These are just numbers, of course, and any good liberal arts student knows that this is only half of the story. What’s really going on in the trenches? Nick Lanpheer‘25 had some qualitative insights.
When Lanpheer was initially asked for an interview, he said that he “detests free press.” With some mild begging and light groveling, however, he was eventually coerced into doing what was asked of him. “The food has tentatively improved,” said Lanpheer. “I don’t think it will last.”
This is a valid concern. Any student who dined at Commons will recall brief periods of improvement after summer or winter break that were followed by a stark drop off in quality. Could the current form of the kitchen be short lived?
When asked if the new dining hall location is more convenient, Lanpheer took pause. “I think we should resist imperialism,” he said. When asked to elaborate, Lanpheer quickly switched gears. “No, it’s not more convenient,” he said. “It’s less convenient. Because why is it so…windy on the bridge? Also, I hate making eye contact with people who are working out.”
Of course, the wind issue can be attributed to simple laws of nature, but the gym rats are another beast. Of the students surveyed, more than 50% claimed that they were bothered by the gym as they ate their meals. These distractions are a new issue for Beloit’s dining hall, but not for The Powerhouse. It can be argued that The Powerhouse tries to be too many things at once. It’s a gym, a fieldhouse, a batting cage, a pool, a recreation center, a gift shop, a venue, a classroom, a study area, and a lounge. It had a brief stint as a library, and is now a dining hall. The distractions might simply be too much.
Can these issues improve? When prompted with this question, it should come as no surprise that Lanpheer had some great ideas. “They need to up the vibe in there somehow,” he said. “Some better lighting behind the booths could be cool. It would also look kind of cool if instead of some of those [gym] railings they had glass walls – like we were looking at everyone in a laboratory.” Some food for thought.
So Commolton’s has mixed reviews from the student body. What about the staff, who deal with these changes more than anybody? Donna from Bon Appetit was kind enough to answer a few questions about the worker experience.
The first thought many students had when laying eyes upon the layout of Commolton’s was, “how can they stop us from just sneaking through that gate in the back and eating for free?” Turns out, they can’t, and it has proved to be the most difficult issue for Bon Appetit staff members. “It’s a fire gate,” Donna said, “so it’s not supposed to be used except for emergencies. They’re working on getting a fire alarm.” Hear that, freeloaders? You’ll have to swipe your ID like everybody else. While Donna expressed that the new layout is “a lot of getting used to,” significant upgrades in the kitchen were noted. A lot of the equipment is new, including fancy new ovens that seem to make the work experience easier.
Overall, the change to Commolton’s seems to be a positive one. Less convenient, perhaps, but positive. Whether or not these improvements will last remains to be seen.
Featured image: Photo of Samuel Shea’25 in Hamiltons by Vivian Kopka’27
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