The new hang-out space in the Main Dining Hall. (Brandon University)

No need to forage for berries any more: the new cafeteria has just what everyone needs. There is a new hang-out area with couches and art (soon to be replaced with works by our own students). Faculty and students can charge their phones there or just relax while avoiding class. The new space is open and inviting. The room has been repainted and reforged into a gathering space for everybody.

Universal access has been the key feature in the redesign. Along with the old payment methods, Interac is now offered as a pay option. And, if that isn’t what you are looking for, perhaps the new cheap and healthy meal options are. For five dollars at lunch or six at dinner you can get a healthy food option outside of the pizza and corn flakes you usually enjoy. Healthy Campus initiated these changes through their Healthy Campus Initiative, which is an effort to improve the health of the entire University.

The changes don’t stop there.

Susan Smale, with the BU administration, has been pushing for a more transparent eating experience – a place where you can see the nutritional value of what you are going to eat before you decide. The new lead cook, Tim Taylor, prepares everything fresh daily. He has new and exciting ideas for the menu that will no doubt be put into effect over the coming weeks.

The rebuilt space has all of the features of the old cafeteria with the addition of new options. There are plans for musicians from our own School of Music to perform in the cafeteria, and more plans in the works, including more new food to be integrated and new choices for the students of Brandon University to enjoy. They listened to us, now let’s see what they have to offer.

Republished from The Quill print edition, Volume 104, Issue 1, September 4, 2013.