October 5 - October 18, 2007

Vol. 43, No. 1

Download the Current Issue (.pdf)

by Scott Stillwell
Staff Reporter

The PUB is still being built, but the delays haven’t been without cause.

A tight labor market has impeded the construction process by forcing the school’s administration to wait for available workers. Asbestos was discovered in the bottom level of the PUB, which required the site to be shut down while it was cleaned up.

Also, our region was at the mercy of an intense amount of precipitation last year, which periodically slowed all progress while workers waited for conditions to change so they could resume construction.

The projected completion date of the PUB is December 20, which offers over two weeks of operation for the PUB utilities, ensuring that by the time students come back to campus in January, they will be able to enjoy the services of a new and improved PUB.

Though it has been a long time in the making, the completion of the remodel will be something for students and faculty alike to look forward to. Once finished, the PUB promises a relaxed atmosphere with improved accommodations such as new furniture, more study space and most importantly, a large selection of new foods.

Chartwells, a worldwide food distributor, has been negotiating a contract with the school. Pending its resolution, it will provide the new food services. Stuart Trippel, the acting vice president for administrative services describes the administration’s dealings with Chartwells as “very positive.” Trippel is careful to state that the contract is still being negotiated, but he doesn’t believe there is any reason why dealing with Chartwells should fall through.

Students will be able to look forward to a wide selection of diverse, healthy foods in a new cafeteria, which is specifically designed to suit the many dining choices Chartwells will provide. Trippel is aware of the need for a healthy selection of food at the school, given past disapproval of cafeteria options.

“We want to be able to accommodate people as best as we can,” he states. The menu Chartwells has put together for the school is evidence of this, offering everything from New York-Style pizza made available from the Trattoria Pizza/Pasta menu, to the Outtakes ‘Grab-N-Go’ options, which provides quick dining solutions, including sandwiches, salads, bottled beverages, baked goods and more.

For new students, the sight of a large, unfinished building, surrounded by caution tape and detour routes is less than welcoming. For returning students, the project is another chapter in the renovation story that has been an ongoing affair for over a year now. Either way, few would disagree that the building of the new PUB has been a long, drawn out affair, which has been the source of many annoying setbacks in campus navigation. The remodel, which began in early summer 2006, ..........................................