‘Supplementing Servo:’ Upgrades to College Dining Services
(William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
By Brandon Fey, News Editor
Several returning students were surprised this August when they returned to campus to find that the interior of the dining hall had been given a new appearance. As the primary dining center at Gettysburg College, Servo is responsible for providing food for the student body every day of the week. Given the importance of the facility to the student experience, the President’s Council had decided that it would benefit from some timely renovations.
The planning of this project began in early January 2024, during which the President’s Council collaborated with Facility Services to hire contractors and begin creating some designs. These focused on the dining area of Servo which had not been refurbished for about 15 years.
Renovations include new paint colors and new sound barriers along the walls to reduce the level of noise in Servo. The lighting was also entirely replaced with more energy-efficient LED lights to improve both brightness and sustainability. The project also included new signage and two large television screens to provide information about dining specials and upcoming events.
(William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
“It seems a lot more modern and fresh in a classic way,” said Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Michael Bishop describing the upgraded dining hall.
The renovation project began the day after Reunion Weekend: June 3. Contractors started with some mild demolition, mainly involving the removal of the wooden shapes that previously hung along the walls. They then replaced old ceiling tiles and began work on the lighting.
Students can expect to see the popular student life photos of their classmates return by early October, as new pictures are being printed to fill newly purchased frames.
In addition to building renovations, the College has also sought to improve its services offered to the students. To assess the needs of its targeted audience, the planning group requested insights from students across campus.
“We met with a bunch of different focus groups,” said Bishop. “We met with some of the groups from the Senate and some academic groups for input.”
Per the suggestions of the students, Servo now offers new meal plans and new Servo to-go boxes. As part of this, students have the option of checking out a reusable container which they may fill with food items of their choice to be taken out of the dining hall. The containers are available in both large and small sizes, and students can choose to check out either one large container or up to two small containers to count for a single meal swipe. The containers are labeled with waterproof barcodes, which keep track of which are being used so they can be properly cleaned upon return.
(William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
Dining Services has also launched a new mobile app, FD Mealplanner, with menus and information about food items being offered at both Servo and the Bullet Hole. The app has been in development for over a year and one of its aims is to specifically serve students with food allergies. It does this through a feature that lists the ingredients of each meal item, highlighting potential allergens. This links to the Department of Agriculture’s database, providing the most current information.
The upgrades to Servo are expected to positively impact the Gettysburg College experience for several students in the future.
“I don’t think it’s going to go out of style,” said Bishop. “It will definitely look good for years to come.”
This article originally appeared on pages 7 of the No. 1 October 2024 edition of the Gettysburgian’s magazine.
