Housing crunch resolved Dam takes dining Underclassmen live off campus for first time^m to the next level By KATTLIN McCAFFERTY like lounges, and others have to between 193 and 210 students liv- off campus next year. Priority will live off campus," said Johnston. "It ing off campus. be given to seniors as has been the FEATURES EDITOR \ By KM TLIN McCAFFERTY bins. The pies and-^akes-ere even dis- was interesting. There was no The renovations to Dana, Foss custom in the past. "The students FEATURES EDITOR layed in order to look more appeal- email sent out, there was no mar- and Woodman greatly affected who volunteered (to live off cam- p ; For the first time in five years Dana Dining Hall was flooded this ' ' " ¦ ' keting to let people know that we those numbers. Hillside was reno- pus) knew that going into it," said •^S* . underclassmen are living off cam- past Sunday night with people who "Everything has a garnish. The had a problem. People just came in vated in 1995, leaving a lower bed Johnston. "If there are not enough » pus. Not since 1997 have non- were anxious to see the new Ultimate way the food is displayed different. and volunteered to move off cam- count on campus. At that point it seniors then great, but it won't be is seniors lived away from Dining, program. Most people eat'With their eyes and pus. Thirty-five or so people vol- was primarily seniors who lived that because they have already Mayflower Hill, but this semester Ultimate Dining is the latest in din- we are trying appeal to that," said unteered. We never had to say that off campus, but there were about lived off campus that they auto- to Sophomores are joining juniors and ing hall technology. The Ultimate Avasthi. we didn't have a place for anyone 20 juniors and 6 sophomores. matically get it." seniors in town. Dining experience focuses on deliver- The temperature is also a vital part to stay, that we didn't have a place "There were hot many under- Johnston said that his office has v It looked as though a major ing a restaurant quality meal to stu- of making the food restaurant for anyone to live." classmen living off campus, but received many phone calls from quality. housing crunch was imminent for dents. At the international bar where the However, juniors who were there were some," said Johnston.- concerned junior parents making second semester until students ^ In the spring of 2001; dining ser- dish is cooked* in front of the con- abroad were sent an email letting In 1997 the Alfond Apartment sure that Colby can still accommo- ? began to come forward and offer to vices tried "a custom driven process sumer, the plates are warmed so that them know that living off-campus Complex was built which made date their children who are coming move off campus. Even before the on campus. What happened was the food will not cool down as quick- was an . - ,. ' living on campus back from abroad. "There is a events of Sept. 11, which discour- everyone was pleased with the quali- ly. "At a restaurant, the food is never option. much more attractive home for anyone on campus who aged somie people from travelling ty of food," said Varun Avasthi direct cold when it comes to a table. We did- During to seniors. AMS was wants one," said Johnston. abroad, Associate Dean of Students tor of Dining Services. the fall also built which Johnston said that many juniors n't want students to have to eat cold for Housing Paul Johnston knew "The college said that that was food," said Avasthi. semester increased the returning from abroad were not that there was going to be a hous- good> but that if we were in the same "3 As for the taste, Avasthi said that ing there were amount of people' pleased with their housing and crunch second semester. There place next year it would be a problem. the recipes had been chosen and then were more juniors returning than 111 students who could live oh told their parents that they needed We have to stay on the cutting edge tried and tested many times. Dana • there were leaving, not to mention living off campus. At that to get off campus housing. "They and stay up to date on the trends (in now puts salt on their French fries as the influx of second semester fresh- camp us , point the number of were using it as an argument to dining services)." The newest trend well. "We wanted to make it so that men. and during students living off live off campus," said Johnston. was Ultimate Dining. (students) wouldn't have to add any- Initially, "there was a difference the spring campus drastically Many juniors wanted suites, a Last year Colby was ranked as 4th thing to their food," he said. "Taste is of 40 between the returning juniors semester shifted and became request that Johnston cannot guar- in the nation for excellence in campus very important." and those leaving " there are much lower. antee. He does guarantee singles to go abroad, ¦¦ ¦ ¦' .© _¦»" b The Princeton Review. The end result is one that tries to about 145. "It has been and doubles, however. ¦ ' T~~~. -• y Johnston said. That number ¦ ¦ _. _ «j Avasthi would like to keep such high please. "In the end we try to capture increased from 40 to 60 and then to Thirty-five of those students are unusual in the past 4 or 5 years, but think "(the housing sifua-ion) standards. The staff began to ask what the whole restaurant experience," said ^ almost 80 after Sept. 11. The num- juniors, and only 5 are sopho- there has never been a ban on it. will be fine. We filled most of the could they do differently. Avasthi. "It is all about customer satis- ber of students deciding to refrain mores. We just give priority to seniors," lounges, but it's not the first time. Sodexho, the company who cater faction. It is all about the customers from going to a different country "Although in the past few years said Johnston. We tried to keep at least one lounge - all of Colby's dining halls decided seeing the 'wow' factor. We have had dropped, so the problem became underclassmen living off campus The juniors and sophomores liv- in each dorm," said Johnston. "It that bringing in Ultimate Dining so many positive, comments on every- femch bigger. has been unheard of," said ing off campus this semester are looked like a difficult project but would be a good move. Colby is the thing." -• "When that happens and there Johnston, "it has happened not guaranteed to live off campus we've come through it pretty :¦ ' ¦¦ only college in the Northeast to have The process will also cut down on is not an increase in bed count, before." Between the fall of 1995 for next year. The. same lottery well." Ultimate Dining and one out of only food waste. Mow instead of expecting people have to live somewhere, and the spring of 1997 there were process will determine who lives 60 Ultimate Dining experiences in the to make food for 800 people and then nation. wasting if they did not all come, Dana Ultimate Dining subscribes to can make food almost to order. They BOOKS BRING BOOKSTORE BIG BUCKS three rules that produce restaurant will start to calculate the decrease in quality food; taste, temperature, and waste after the first month when the appearance. When the three of those program levels off. aspects are combined the result is "I think there will be a consider- improved quality according to able reduction of waste,", said Avasthi. .. Avasthi. Students and staff alike are excited Although the actual layout of for the update at Dana. "It's nice to see Dana has not changed, it does have a the students excited about it. I'm new look. Where there used to be pumped up and my employees are white plates and mugs, there is now excited too. They know the students brighrsalmon and yellow c___ na/r_.e and are excited to put it out to them salad bar is now displayed in black and for them to see it," said Avasthi. plates and bowls, as are the condi- "The new setup promotes teamworkr ments. The burgers come with a bas- It gives the employees something to ket and individual wrapping; the fries do. There is satisfaction on all ends - did as well for the first day, but after students and employees. We're hav- much student feedback about the ing a lot of fun." amount of wasted paper, fries are once again served in the large black . BRAD SEYMOUR/THE COLBY ECHO Students crowd into the Colby Bookstore to buy books for spring semester. Presidents' Council passes noise resolution, rejects skateboard ban , EJy JON SILBERSTEIN-LOEB As such, Ritter claimed, it is diffi- Although some small amend- then we might want to give them a NEWS EDITOR cult for Security to give out cita- ments were made to the original citation right off." tions fairly. On these grounds, motion put forward by Ritter, the Even so, said Chenevert, securi- On Monday night, Feb. 4, Ritter's motion suggested that "no amended motion passed with little ty will take the motion "under President's Council passed a resistance. The motion that passed advisement with the Dean of motion proposed by Sophomore prohibits security officers from Students." Class Representative Matt Ritter giving out citations when initially President's Council did not '04 to amend the noise complaint responding to a noise complaint pass a motion proposed by Piper policy on campus.