Over spring break Hill’s Sodexo team made some new improvements to the dining hall. These new additions include Uncrustables, a new spice rack, a VG next to the vegan option on Today on the Hill, and an extra rice cooker during lunch.  

Prior to the break, a small group of students and faculty met with some of the members of Sodexo’s team to discuss things such as favorite meals and ideas to make things better. Towards the end of the break, an email was sent out to the small group stating the new changes they have in the dining hall for the spring term and future school years. 

Students overwhelmingly responded to positively to the changes made in the dining hall have been over. “I honestly think they’re pretty amazing changes. You know, we’re all athletes. We all get very hungry sometimes so these changes, are a great way for everybody to eat I don’t really like to go to breakfast, so when I do get hungry, those Uncrustables under the fridge are great.” Alejandro Schmidt-Corujo ’23 said. “It’s much needed and I think everyone loves it,” Matthew Field ’23 said. “It’s just a great addition.”  

Faculty are also thrilled about the new improvements.  Elle O’Brien, Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Performance and Head Coach of Strength and Conditioning, is a vegan and thinks that the additions suitably improved her variety of diet choice. When asked about why they made changes to the menu and added their new details such as a VG next to the vegan option for the main line, O’Brien replied with, “I think they made these changes to be more accommodating to everyone, with and without dietary restrictions, and to just give more options for food choices, more options for flavor, and to help decongest the dining or the pantry area a little bit.” 

When asked about if it costs more or if it’s a cheap fix, Sodexo’s General Manager Lisa Demetrio replied, “It’s all within our budget, but if you’re eating something, one thing, you’re not eating the other thing.” Demetrio has been at Hill for seven years and has had many Culinary Council meetings and taken ideas from them. She has seen every variation of the menu and plans what students and faculty eat “If you’re choosing one entree over another, such as if you’re choosing the action station, which could be like a burger or could be shrimp scampi and you’re not choosing what is on the main line, which could be beef, burgundy, or chicken fingers you know, it all balances out.” 

Hill’s Sodexo team has made great progress since reopening in 2020 from having all buffet meals, to reintroducing seated meals, to now even taking advice from students and faculty to make it better. To quote O’Brien: “I think this is definitely a step in the right direction.”