After 8 months of renovations, Reamer Dining Hall, previously called Upper Class Dining Hall, reopened at the start of the academic year. For the previous winter and spring terms, the dining hall had experienced continuous construction and repairs as a result of a pipe bursting in February of 2023. Since then, there has been a long term plan to upgrade the dining hall. Many students were frustrated at the closure of the dining hall, but looked forward to the renovation, and the opening of the new dining space.
The new dining hall features the same dining stations as before the flood, in addition to increased seating capacity. The dining hall is now open 7 days per week, with West dining hall being open on weekdays only. In previous years, West dining hall was the only dining hall open 7 days per week.
Although much time and planning was put into these renovations, students still face issues with the crowds and seating. While the expanded seating options and architectural redesign of the facility are a benefit to many students, students who chose to eat at Reamer were right away greeted with lines that extended down the stairs to the first floor. Many students have been unable to sit with friends, or even find space to eat during Common hour lunch or dinner periods.
“The lines are long during active hours,” One student said. “During the day for lunch and for dinner three times so far I couldn’t get a seat with my friends,” said another student. This speaks to a wider ongoing issue in the ability to deal with the larger crowds, especially given that the staff of the dining hall are preparing food for students seven days a week. The amount of staff present during meals, especially during the weekend, can make it difficult to help with the amount of students present at once.
Another challenge for some has been the layout of the food. Vanya Holden ‘25 commented that, “It used to be that you would walk straight from the swipe to the food, to the tables. Now it’s like you have to walk to the middle then go back for the food and then back again for seating.”
Another student noted, “I think it’s a bit odd that they have several much longer tables than one or two people tables. Most people aren’t going there with ten people.”
The reopening of this new dining hall comes with much promise and hope, but according to students, it still suffers from many organizational and structural issues.
Reamer Dining Hall is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday through Friday. On the weekends, it is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Students can use meal swipes to access the updated dining hall.
