Slight changes have recently occurred in the Keene State College Zorn Dining Commons as well as in Hoot n Scoot.
These changes include the introduction of new panini press paper in the deli section of the Dining Commons as well as restricting substitutions of A and S items in Hoot n’ Scoot. Different food items correspond with different letters on the E-A-T-S chart located inside Hoot n’ Scoot.
Students said they have been running into issues while toasting sandwiches in the panini press this semester because of the new paper sticking to some sandwiches such as the wraps. In previous semesters there were no papers used for toasting.
Tim Smith / Photo Editor
General manager of dining services Josef Quirinale said the previous absence of paper caused cheese to ooze out of sandwiches and burn, making it difficult to grill other sandwiches. He also said that “the reason that the chef decided to use the panini papers was to make it cleaner for the students.”
KSC first-year Julia Shimer said she thinks we should get new paper. This issue is currently being sorted out. “The chef is working on getting better paper. He’s gotten the right paper for the sandwiches with the buns but he has not been able to find the paper yet for the sandwiches that are wraps. He’s looking for that, he should have that any day,” Quirinale said.
Aside from paper sticking to wraps in the dining commons, Hoot n’ Scoot seeks to stick to its original plan of not allowing substitutions of the E-A-T-S items. Students used to be able to walk out of hoot n scoot with both a cookie and chips, whereas they now have to pick between the two. This particularity has caught some students by surprise. “I didn’t know that until one woman told me I could get either one which was weird because I used to get both all the time, so it was a little frustrating,” Shimer said.
Hoot N Scoot chef Josh Erickson said they change the policies here quite a bit. “If I recall correctly the cookie now counts as an A. So do the chips, but you can only get one,” Erickson said.
According to Quirinale, “the reason for taking away the option for substitution and going back to the original plan was that hoot n scoot really isn’t a grocery store. You can go in and there’s a chart that tells you what you can pay for each item if you want to buy them individually, but if you want to use your meal plan then it’s a meal equivalent. We’ve tried to package it so that it really provides options that support student health and well-being and give a well-balanced meal.”
The particularity is aimed to keep the price of a Hoot n Scoot meal at $5.20. When too many substitutions occur it throws the balance off.
“It’s a balancing act to make that $5.20 provide an entire meal in the DC and have your meal plan money last for the entire semester,” Quirinale said.
Quirinale mentioned small changes in the Dining Commons occur frequently, usually through requests from students. If a student is looking to have their specific request accommodated they can write it down on a napkin and post it to the board available inside the dish return hallway of the dining commons.
Adam can be contacted at aurqhart@kscequinox.com
