Campus Auxiliary Services recently announced plans to replace the Campus Grind with a Starbucks franchise, one of several long-range initiatives to improve on-campus dining. The Lamron applauds CAS's recent drive to improve its services for Geneseo students.
The addition of a Starbucks is only the latest in CAS upgrades. Books & Bytes received a major overhaul during the summer, to overwhelmingly positive reviews. The café now serves grilled paninis and fresh gourmet baked goods, in addition to offering several varieties of coffee.
Another beneficial change was the renovation of Red Jacket dining hall and Southside Café. Although the renovations inconvenienced Southside residents for the fall semester, they exemplified CAS's dedication to bettering the quality of their services.
Remember the poor excuse for sushi that used to be served at the Geneseo University Store? This year, CAS brought in Sushi with Gusto, which offers authentic, fresh, hand-rolled sushi at an excellent value. If CAS had offered raw sushi just a few years ago, many students might have been skeptical, but their resolve to provide superior food has quelled our cynicism.
CAS isn't resting on their recent laurels, either. They plan to completely renovate Letchworth Dining Hall within the next few years, at a cost of $13 million. The sheer resources being poured into on-campus dining give us a promising outlook on the future of CAS services at Geneseo.
Perhaps the most important part of CAS's overhaul is their receptiveness to student feedback. Several times already this year, they have served up specially crafted concepts to gauge the tastes of the student body - on Wednesday, a CAS chef proudly served students fish tacos featuring breaded cod, a freshly juiced citrus vinaigrette and jicama coleslaw. The tacos are just one of several items being vetted by CAS for a future spot on a dining hall menu.
Another way in which students' voices are being heard is the improvement of vegetarian and vegan offerings at all dining locations on campus, after several students had expressed disappointment at the lack of variety of such items in the past.
What we're trying to say is: Thank you, CAS, for your determined efforts in improving on-campus dining for all Geneseo students. Students past and present are glad to see you're listening.