Dining Hall Renovations Set the Fall Semester off to a Fresh Start

By Cage Evinger

With the beginning of the Fall semester, Purchase Dining Services reopens the doors to the Dining Hall, and for the first time in a long time, the building has an all-new look. 

On May 12, the Dining Hall temporarily shut down as the Spring semester came to a close. Once all students, except the soon-to-be-graduating seniors, had left for the season, the work to rebuild the Dining Hall from the ground up would begin. While this first stage of construction was underway, The Hub continued to welcome people, becoming the main dining location on campus during that period. 

The Dining Hall was first built in 1972 by Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects along with the freshman dormitories – Central, Crossroads and Farside – when the school first opened its doors. While the building, as well as the quad surrounding it, has received some aesthetic renovations in the years since its creation, the bottom floor, where students eat, has remained largely unchanged.  

Dominic Marino, marketing manager for Purchase Dining Services, noted during discussions of potential renovations, “this place [the Dining Hall] hasn’t been updated since before I was born, and before a lot of people were born around here.” 

Dining Hall seating in April 2025, before renovations began. (Photo by: Cage Evinger) 

 He went on to explain that a renovation of the Dining Hall has “been talked about since before I was even here, and I’ve been here a little over two years now.” The actual development of these renovations “finally came to be last year,” Marino continued. “They were looking at maybe doing something quick over the winter break, but we decided that it was too much work to get done in that short amount of time.”  

The plan then became to have the work done over the summer break instead. “We closed a little bit early here, because the contractors wanted to get in and get stuff going in the timeline,” Marino added. “We have summer camps that we serve over the summer as well, so we had to get the dining area at least, in this place where we could get the kids in to eat.”  

The renovations do not only benefit students either. “The cashier that closes has to clean the entire seating area of Dhall.” Gianna Capriglione, a senior who recently worked at the Dining Hall, said that, with the replacement of tables and chairs, “It made cleaning Dhall (Dining Hall) a lot easier.” 

Dining Hall seating in August 2025 following Renovations. (Photo by: Cage Evinger) 

This effort to improve the Dining Hall for students appears to be effective, with many students agreeing that the facility has shown significant improvement. Kamora Hinds, a sophomore who transferred this semester, said, “I love D Hall.” On how it compares to when she saw it on a tour before attending the school, she added, “I feel like the options have expanded, and it makes me want to be here more.” 

Some opinions of the Dining Hall are more conflicted, however. “I’m a huge fan,” freshman Olaia Higgins added, “I feel like a lot of the meals are redundant though. I mean, a lot of the options are just the same, so I pretty much get the same thing every day.” Another student, freshman Brianna Henriquez, said, “I’m neutral on D Hall.” She added, “It’s a place where I eat; I think I enjoy it. I haven’t had a negative experience, at least.” 

 Buffet-style food stations post-renovations. (Photo by: Cage Evinger) 

While some students coming into the Dining Hall say they like it—or at least want better food options—others, such as Nathaniel Thorne, a junior starting his third semester at the school, believe that renovations only go so far. “It looks like a prison,” Thorne said. “Fixing the windows and the floors and everything? That is stuff that should be done, and it’s good that it has been done, especially after half a century. My overall opinion on the renovations is that in general it all just looks really lifeless. They took out all the colors.” 

The Dining Hall held an opening night event on the first Monday of the semester, but the building was not even complete until about a week before welcoming students back. With some students still wanting more improvements, the Purchase Dining Services are looking for continued input to make the Dining Hall a place everyone can enjoy. “There were little things here and there, and there’s still some things popping up,” Dominic Marino finished with. “We’re already talking about tweaking things here and there, so we can make the program a little better for the students.”