Vassar Quarterly - Fall 2017 - 10

Clockwise, from top:
Students enjoy a laugh
between classes. The
Farmer's Table salad bar
offers fresh vegetables
daily. light-colored walls
and blonde wood give
the space an airy look.
The Your Kitchen station
allows students to sauté
their own meals, using
fresh ingredients. Students
combine homework
and socializing.

FA l l 2 0 1 7

There's also an expanded array of vegan and vegetarian
options, fresh vegetables from the Vassar Farm, and
halal meat.
The space has an open floor plan, crisp, white
walls, and skylights that all help to keep the dining hall
feeling bright and airy. There are a variety of seating
options-booths, raised counters with stools, and
custom, movable wooden tables that can seat 2 or 22.
In total, the first, second, and third floors can seat more
than 1,000 people at any given time.
Unlimited card swipes for students and low-priced
meals for employees help create a gathering place for
the entire Vassar community. And expanded hours of
operation make it more convenient for everyone to get
good food morning, noon, and night.

lou Karaiskos '20 and T.K. Murphy '20 said they're
happy with the new system, which allows them to stop
in and get a quick bite before an early morning class and
still return later in the morning for a more substantial
breakfast. It also means you can grab a meal after a
workout or eat something healthy (or not-there is a
dessert station) while staying up late writing a paper
or studying for an exam.
"This new dining space promises to be an important venue for community building and intellectual
and social exchange at Vassar," says Roellke.
Karaiskos and Murphy agree. They like the new
atmosphere at the Deece, where students are spending
more time talking with friends, reading, working, and
enjoying themselves.
Plans to renovate ACDC had been in the works for
years, Roellke says. After six years of intensive study,
including visits to peer colleges, the goal was "a complete transformation for campus dining."
Preliminary work began over Winter Break, and
some demolition and prep work continued over Spring
Break, but the bulk of the project didn't start until the
students left campus May 24-just 70 days before
the August 1 deadline.
How do you finish a year's worth of work in a couple
of months? You put in a raft of 15- to 18-hour days,
instill a culture of teamwork in your fellow workers, and
when unexpected problems arise, you ignore the urge
to panic and just plow ahead. That's how Michael
Quattrociocchi and Anthony Ripley managed to
oversee this remarkable transformation in record time.
Quattrociocchi, Project Manager and Manager of
Building Trades for the Facilities Operations department,

Photos by Karl Rabe, except "Coffee & Sweets" by leonid Furmansky

Vassar Today

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vassar Quarterly - Fall 2017