by Aarav Mathur
As summer approaches ever sooner, the KO community finds itself reminiscing over yet another school year, with its challenging academics, unifying school events, hype-worthy athletics, and everything else in between. There are other things about this year worth remembering outside of the big events, though, like eating lunch or studying, especially considering the campus-altering changes in response to the construction of the new Community Commons. That begs the question: How has the experience fared with the Soby Cafe and Leadership Library?
Let’s start things off with the Roberts Leadership Center. In response to the library undergoing major renovations, all of the books and resources from the late Conklin Library have been migrated over to the Leadership Center for the year, renaming the location to the Leadership Library. This area has always been a great area for me to go to study, even before becoming a library, but it’s only gotten better since its transformation.
The added tables from the library allow students to be able to actually go and sit down to focus, and the long walk to the past library is no longer an issue, considering that this one is just a part of Seaverns. All of the books being relocated to the sides are also nice, as I see students around me constantly using them for research purposes and homework. The only real issue I have now is that it can be quite loud at times when lots of students congregate there, but that is really just a problem among the students, not the room. Overall though, it has been a worthwhile experience.
The Soby Cafe, on the other hand, has not exactly been an improvement. Ever since the old cafeteria was decommissioned last year, lunches have been of a lower quality in what used to be Soby Gym. Considering the extremely difficult conditions SAGE Dining has had to undergo with their significantly smaller kitchen and makeshift dining area, those 30 minutes to socialize and eat just have not been the same. Not to mention, the severe limitations for those with dietary restrictions have truly been a downgrade for those whom I have seen affected by it.
There was also the Blackbox Bistro for the seniors this year, which was a very kind gesture, but also a bit of a sad compensation for those graduating right before such a big upgrade to the KO campus. Also, I think I should mention to everyone the rather foul smell of food when walking into or around it, which has not exactly gotten easier to get a whiff of. However, this outcome is, of course, no one’s fault by any means. These were simply the circumstances that we had to deal with in the wake of such a large construction project. I do not blame anyone for what happened here. If anything, I have a newfound respect and sense of gratitude for how adaptable SAGE Dining and everyone else behind the relocation have been. It really is a huge change to campus. Besides, those of us returning next year will be able to enjoy the fruits and other various foods and desserts of the new dining area.
This year really has been jam-packed with a lot of events, whether they be in academics, community events, sports, or more. The biggest changes, though, were to the additions of the new Soby Cafe and Leadership Library. Reflecting on these new locations, the library has definitely been a big boost in quality-of-life with its tables and chairs, and other facilities being relocated to a more accessible area, skipping that once-long walk to the Conklin Library to get some work done quietly.
The Soby Cafe, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired, in my opinion. Even if what we got was an impressive transformation given the circumstances and constraints, I have to be honest about how its lower quality meals hampered the lunch experience. Throughout all of this, though, we will still be able to enjoy a brand new building on campus next year as a result, and I am very grateful for those at KO who are able to give us such a great campus, no matter the challenge.
