By Hayley Van Allen
Students returned to Scripps this September and recoiled with horror upon seeing changes to their once dependable dining hall, Malott. Upon walking inside, returning students were immediately disoriented by the layout changes implemented over the summer. As the weeks went on, students realized that the changes to Malott were deeper than just a poor attempt to mix the layout up.
Of all the changes to Malott dining hall, none have been more heinous or cruel than the removal of the warm cookies once available at 6:30 each week night. For years, the highlight of every students’ experience in Malott was the experience of warm cookies placed out at dinner. Now, even finding a regular chocolate chip cookie is a rare experience.
One Scripps student, Keila Fisher ‘21, spoke to us about her cookie experience. “There is nothing I love more than a good, warm chocolate chip cookie at the end of my dinner. Splitting that baby in two and watching the melted chocolate chip ooze out is what I’m guessing love feels like,” Fisher said, “Not being able to experience that love for the past month has been the biggest heartbreak of my life since second grade. I need them back man.”
The second most heartbreaking change to the Malott was the removal of the Mongolian stir fry. Students used to have a guaranteed, delicious customizable stir fry available to them every Thursday night. Now, the offering continues to show up each Thursday on the menu, but not in the actual dining hall, some sort of a cruel joke. Arianna Thompson ‘21 expressed her grief for the loss of a great menu item, “My heart aches for my Thursday night wok ritual before chem lab. It’s the only thing that got me through those long days.”
In addition to the menu changes, students across the 5C’s were bewildered at the missing information on Malott’s menu in the 5C Friend app. Having lived a life of luxury and convenience for so long, many students have forgotten how to use google to find the menus online. Convinced that the Malott – and similarly Hoch Shanahan – menu was gone forever because it didn’t show up on the 5C friend app or the ASPC site, students across the 5C’s have been loitering around the outer perimeter of Malott, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of the food available that night.
It has been hard for many students to keep a brave face with all the changes to the Malott dining hall they once knew and loved. Fortunately, there has been once addition that seems to be for the better: the new coffee machine. Finally, students are able to get espresso based drinks from Malott. The general consensus among students seems to be that the new machine is just fine. “When it works, it’s great!” Maddy Yardumian ‘21 said, “The problem is it’s just… always out of order. Especially when I need it.” With a somber look and a single tear running down her cheek, Yardumian continued to say, “It’s just such a tragedy.”
With so many changes for the worse at Malott, it is understandable that many students are upset and angry. Rumors of a protest have been circling around the 5Cs. One student, who requested to remain anonymous, told us about their commitment to the old ways of the dining halls. “Give me warm cookies or give me death I say! I don’t think Scripps has ever done anything more loathsome than take away the 6:30 cookies in Malott. Nothing will ever or has ever topped this.”
If you, like many other students, feel equally outraged – or if you just want to make a suggestion or two – there is an outlet for you to be heard. Scripps, in their controversial partnership with Sodexo, does have a website to provide feedback. Under Contact/Feedback on the website for Malott, you are given the ability to leave what is essentially a virtual comment card. With enough student feedback about the menu, change is possible.
Image Credit: Pomona Voices
