Returning students have likely noticed some very welcome changes around the BJU campus, most involving food services and the athletic programs. Here are some of the changes that have been made over the summer to keep the campus looking its best.
Dining Common
The long-anticipated first phase of the dining common’s remodeling has been completed. Now managed by ARAMARK—ranked byFood Management as first among its top 50 companies—the dining common features new hours of operation, new food and new décor.
Mr. Adam Summer, the food service director, said he is pleased the construction was completed in such good time.
Students can now eat in the dining common anytime from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on weekdays. “One of the big things we want everyone to learn is that it’s continuous dining now,” Mr. Summer said. “The more students can spread themselves out—not come all at once—the more successful we’ll be.”
Grab ’n Go has moved to a few kiosks on the opposite end of the lobby from the POD (Provisions On Demand), a retail stand with drinks and snacks. Also, Grab ’n Go now features breakfast to pick up the night before instead of in the morning.
New buffet islands at each end of the Varsity Room divide up the lines and add variety to the menu, with pizza and pasta at the south end and a deli and salad bar at the north end. The old buffet against the kitchen wall now serves mostly grilled food.
Mr. Summer said he hopes once the system gets smoothed out, BJU Dining Services will be able to host theme meals and special events.
“There’s a different student population here from other places I have worked,” he said. “You see a different level of courtesy amongst our student population, which I think will allow us to do more.”
Snack Shop
Although it’s still under construction, the remodeled Snack Shop will feature a Papa John’s Pizza, a Chick-fil-A and a grill to be named Brody’s, after the Bruins’ mascot.
Mr. Mark Kopp, director of campus master planning, said the Snack Shop is hoping to open in late September or early October.
Another POD similar to the one in the dining common will sit in the center along with a coffee station.
Anyone with an ID card can use the new Dining Dollars program at the Snack Shop, the dining common and The Growl. Dining Dollars work as a prepaid account, similar to a debit card. The easiest way to add funds to an account is by going to www.campusdish.com.
Davis Field House
The Davis Field House got a bold blue look when the Fast Break—now named The Growl—was redecorated with a new Bruins theme, and a mammoth Bruins logo was painted on the center court wall.
The DFH has been readied for Bruins games with a new floor in center court, new padding on the walls and a sports medicine unit downstairs.
Stadium Field
The soccer field at Alumni Stadium has been regraded, and the curb between the field and track has been eliminated to make throw-ins and corner kicks safer. Mr. Kopp said he hopes future improvements will include better lighting and more bleachers.