The moment I saw our new dining hall in LaPenta Student Union, I couldn’t help  but stop and really take it in for a minute. I’m not really sure what I expected it to look like. But, I know this wasn’t it. Something just feels so off. The blank white walls, fluorescent LED light signs, and uniformed chairs. It’s so different from the school spirit that Vitanza Commons held. The murals and photos on the walls or the chairs and booths perfectly facing each other. In the new dining hall, there’s no evidence that students exist here.

Everything is so gray. The plates and silverware is a fancy element, but it’s become more difficult to carry everything at once. I feel like I’m eating in an airport every day. The amount of people who have told me that they barely go to the dining hall now, it’s honestly sad. There is always an amount of anxiety about whether it will be crowded or if they even have what I’ve been wanting to eat all day. I’ve gotten the completely wrong order multiple times or they’ll run out of a sort item, without telling us prior. Ordering food shouldn’t be as complicated as it currently feels.

The more I think about it, this could fully be taken as a life lesson. I’ve definitely complained about Vitanza Commons and the old Lapenta dining hall. They weren’t perfect. But, they felt real. We all complained, and we’re aware of that. But, we didn’t ask to change how it looked. I never remember hearing that. It was about the food and improving the amount of space in each building. The reason why I’m confused is that there are so many other areas on campus that need attention. Residents of all dorm halls often struggle with the cleanliness of the building in general. I live in Rice Hall, and there are so many improvements to be made. However, those changes have yet to be made. Don’t get me wrong, I know improvements will be made. But, it will most likely be when we graduate. We won’t be able to experience what we desperately wanted this whole time.

I understand that something new takes time to settle in, but that isn’t the case here. Even if change occurs, it shouldn’t cause this much disruption into our lives. Especially, when we didn’t specifically ask for this. We had no control in this decision, which often seems to be a promise to us in college. Yes, the design of this new place is sleek and innovative. I can’t help but think that the top goal of this new dining hall was trying to match the corporate side of the world. I do hope Iona continues to grow their community, but I almost feel bad for the students who didn’t have the chance to see what this part of our university used to be.

I hope this article helps bring awareness of the present unsteadiness of what we’ve been given. I’m writing this with no hatred in my heart, I simply just miss the simplistic and friendly style of Vitanza and the old LSU cafeterias. But, in my truly honest opinion, it doesn’t feel like home anymore.