After a summer away, Hackley students walked into the new dining hall, full of surprise.
For the past 20 years at Hackley, the seating in the dining hall has been circular tables scattered around, for students to sit and eat at.
“ I liked the seating better last year because it was easier to see everyone’s faces and have conversations,” freshman Melanie Madison said. The tables last year made conversation easier to have and gave more opportunities to speak to your table and see everyone.
Although the dining hall was crowded last year and felt disorganized, students generally enjoyed the feel of the round tables, and the opportunities to be able to have big group conversations at lunch.
“It made it feel like we were having a Harkness conversion, and made it easier for things to bounce off everyone,” freshman Kubrick Croche said.
The dining hall this year is more spread out and has various types of tables for students to choose from. Kubrick Croche said, “ The new tables, I call them Last Supper tables.” He said the reason for this was because of the long tables surrounded by even chairs on each side and one person at the head.
A student with a larger friend group said that although last year the seating was easier to get in and out of, the seating is generally better and fits her friend group more easily. She said that in some cases last year her friend group would need to split up into smaller groups at different tables, and this year allows for them all to sit together. However, she said that although it’s more accommodating for fitting everyone, it makes conversations a little more difficult.
Freshman Jaiya Patel said, “ You sometimes have to yell, but it does not matter that much.” The longer tables make it easier to have conversations with everyone together and you have to yell to be able to speak to someone not directly next to you or across from you.
A student with a mid-size friend group said that she enjoyed the seating last year more, and it was more accommodating for her friend group. The student said the seating last year made it easier to have conversations as a group and see everyone. She said that in some cases even with her smaller friend group it is difficult to fit her whole friend group and ends up needing to pull in chairs. Whereas last year it was less of a struggle. For her friend group the students said that although everyone is more spread out, they are still able to have group conversations without needing to yell.
He said that he only finds himself really talking to the person right next to him or across from him, whereas last year his conversations were more spread out. Regarding the coffee tables, he said that he likes the option of having them and does not ever feel embarrassed to have the option of sitting alone. The student told me it gives him a chance to get work done during lunch or even just get separation from a bigger group, or be able to have one-on-one conversations with a friend.
