The Boyd Dining Hall has become a space for experience and socialization for all students at the university, which is why the University decided it was time to update and modernize the dining hall and the experience within.
The dining hall simply “needed some love,” according to Dr. Keith Moore, vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management at Virginia Wesleyan. Moore also oversaw the dining hall renovation process.
The brand new expansions to the Boyd Dining Hall were graciously funded by Emerita Joan Brock, who also funded another larger project on campus to remodel the front of the Batten Center by the John Wesley statue to create the Brock Commons.
The new project, which is on track to begin construction in the spring of 2021, will be a fun new place for students and faculty alike to socialize and experience what was described as a “third place” in President Miller’s Nota Bene. Students will be able to use this place as an area outside of work and home to socialize with others and experience a place with “brightness and high energy” as Jason Seward, associate vice president for Campus Life, said.
The newly-renovated dining hall has the capacity to hold up to 400 students and faculty at once, which is about 150 more than it could previously hold, according to Tim Lockett, general manager of Sodexo Dining Services. The new open space concept will allow for a better flow of traffic along with more open space so it never feels too small or cramped with the large number of people in there.
Some of the exciting new amenities that can be found are new baked breads and fresh produce at the new-and-improved sandwich station. On top of that, the in-house executive chef for the dining hall, Pete Stein, has begun to try more dishes that he can bring to the dining hall so that he might offer a little bit of everything for every student’s desires.
Even though the dining experience is what it is currently due to the COVID-19 situation, the plans that are in store for the renovated space and more to come are going to excite the student body. As mentioned in Miller’s Nota Bene email, restrictions have been lifted in Coastal Virginia by Governor Ralph Northam, which means limited seating will soon be offered in the Boyd Dining Center starting on Sept. 14.
Robert Solomon
rlsolomon@vwu.edu
