The dining hall underwent several changes over the winter break, ranging from replacing tables and adding carpet to installing new booths along the walls. The color palette shifted, too, with cooler gray tones replacing the formerly warm yellow accents.
Reactions from the student body have been mixed. While some are excited by the updated spaces to share a meal — such as the new booth seating and rearranged tables — others have been less enthusiastic.
First-year LDC worker Miah Francis expressed concerns about how the renovations will affect workers. “How hard it is going to be to clean the carpet!” she said, describing her first reaction to the changes. “Before, we had some type of laminate or tile which was easy to mop and maintain,” something which is less true of the more porous carpet. She hadn’t noticed substantive changes in the past few weeks but was keeping an eye out for the future.
“The carpet on the outside may look nice and updated,” she said, but it “will have to be replaced [due to potential for spills], making it a poor investment.” Francis also heard that “a lot of chairs have broken,” which could present another problem.
Immediately after returning from break, students took to the anonymous comment posting forum Yik Yak to express their opinions. “LDC ugly era,” commented one user. Others had more specific complaints, saying it looked “blue and cold.”
Shanti Satran ’26 described mixed feelings about the changes. She said she “loves the booths,” but finds the new ambiance “gray and not as warm.” She thought the new color scheme was especially sad due to decreasing winter temperatures, and mentioned that her peers share her sentiments.
The renovation is one component of the planned maintenance projects on campus this school year. Other notable campus construction projects listed on the Facilities Management page include the completed Hasenstab renovations, updates to the Davis bathrooms, changes to the Gould Library lighting, Cowling parking lot reconstruction, a new path from Goodhue to Evans Bridge, improvements to the Cave entrance, structural support changes to walls in Scoville, repairing the sidewalks by the townhouses and improving outdoor lighting.
