Cleveland Commons is back in full swing, with reusable dishes, indoor seating and the beautiful salad bar all available again. And yet, one cannot go a day without hearing someone complain in some way or another about the damn place. We at The Wire interviewed students of all years to better understand what the students want to see. 

It’s always fascinating to re-experience campus for the first time through the wide eyes of first-years, and we were pleased to hear the intriguing ideas our new Whittie family members had. “I’ve been enjoying the cafeteria so far! It’s much fancier than my friends’ cafeteria at their state schools” one said. Another shared their preference for dining hours: “My roommate eats dinner at 5:00 P.M., but not me. I’m not hungry until after 7, but the cafeteria closes by then.”

Sophomores have a bit more experience with the dining hall than their younger counterparts, but are still unfamiliar with the full Cleveland experience. One sophomore had the brilliant idea of rebranding the Global station. “Maybe … make it the taco station? Since that’s all they been serving there this whole semester. Or really, just make the entire place a taco joint since they want to ditch the buffalo chicken sandwiches for more beans and tortillas.”

The Wire also sought out input from upperclassmen to see what improvements might encourage those living off campus and off meal plan to stop by our cafeteria. 

One junior said, “There’s enough room on the overhang outside for a seating area up there. That would be fun.” When asked how it would be possible to access the overhang, she said, “Ladders.” When asked how ladders would be accessible to all abilities, such as people with wheelchairs, she said, “We can’t all be winners,” which does align with many of Whitman’s decisions regarding accessibility improvement. 

A senior told his take on the classic café croissant breakfast sandwich: “They’re so flat! They’d taste better if they had some dimension to them. That’s why I suggest investing in a balloon pump to inflate the sandwiches after toasting them.”