In returning to the Benedum Dining Hall after spring break, students might have  noticed a few minor changes in some of the most popular food stations.

The addition of a cooler with a variety of milk selections was one of these changes. It was a move of accessibility, Food Service Director Lesley Davis said.

“We went to the all-students organization meeting, and they talked about some likes and dislikes, and one of the issues we could easily solve was the milk,” Davis said.  “The lactose, almond and soy milk [options] were always available but were behind the counters or you had to ask for it. We thought it was easier to put a cooler there so that they could help themselves.”

The issue with this freedom is that the milk has been disappearing from the dining hall for students’ own benefit. Davis said if that continues, the cooler might have to change locations once again.

Aladdin Food Management Services works with Waynesburg University and its students to provide a variety of food options, while making changes each year to keep choices fresh and new.

“Every year, we try to do something different,” Davis said, “whether it’s changing the stations, the menus we do or monotony breakers like a theme. It’s to keep the kids interested and give them something different. If you’re here on campus seven days a week and eat your meals here three times a day, it gets old.”

Another switch students might have noticed is at the grill station. Typically, the station features chicken patties and one or two additional sandwich options, ranging from Philly cheesesteaks or fish sandwiches. These options rotate daily, but recently Davis and her staff decided to move one of the selections.

“I wasn’t happy with the quality of the grilled cheese,” she said. “Once it sits there and it’s not moving, it gets disgusting and hard. It can be made at the deli, and it’s fresh, and now we can add another sandwich and rotate sandwiches on the grille line.”

Aside from the food, Aladdin and the Benedum staff have been experimenting with a project to measure the amount of food wasted at the end of each day.

“We just became the first Aladdin account that’s doing a waste measuring program,” Davis said, “so we have a scale in the back that’s computerized, and we weigh all the food we throw away, and it prints out reports and lets us know how we’re doing and where we can cut back.”

As of now, the scale is only used to measure unselected food. If all goes well, however, Davis and her staff hope to have a weight measuring system to see how much food students waste by the start of the next academic year.

“Eventually, we’d like to add it so we can [measure] the students waste and show them how much they’re wasting on a given day,” Davis said. “Right now, it’s behind the house, and we’re the first Aladdin account in the country to do it, and we’re excited about that.”

Looking more into the future, Davis said Aladdin and the University could be looking into a large overhaul of the dining hall over the next full year.

“Our next move here will hopefully be a remodeling,” Davis said. “The last time we remodeled was 2010 and so it’s been a while since we’ve done any remodel. The University and Aladdin Dining will propose a plan to do a revamp and we’ll have an architect come in and do some drawings, so we’re hoping within the next year we’ll be able to make some big changes.”

Overall, Davis sees that student input is key to the changes and success of food services at Waynesburg and said she’ll be transparent in listening to what the student body has to say.

“Come on in, [and] give us suggestions on things you want to see done,” she said.