Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
The students have spoken, and Dining Services has listened. By popular demand, Pasta bar, that Sunday and Wednesday evening standby loved and bemoaned by many, is now arriving three times a week.
According to Dining Services’ Linda McDougall, the change was based purely on student request. “Students seemed to want it,” she said simply in an email. Pasta bar will now be appearing in Sharples on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. However, many students are upset by the change: “I thought that even twice a week was too much; I’m not a fan of pasta, and pasta bar reduces the bar choices to one–the vegetarian bar, which is usually a good alternate choice, is also taken over by pasta,” said Jackie Werner ’07. She continued, “I find it hard to believe that even the people that love pasta bar won’t get sick of it once they’re eating it almost every other day.”
But the pasta addicts would disagree with her: “This is truly a great day in pasta history. I am only sorry that I cannot be with you all as you enter the promised land,” proclaimed “Pasta Bard” Mac Carlson ’04, “Of course, with the increase in the frequency of pasta bar there is a concomitant danger that its quality will decrease. Loyal pastabarians must remain vigilant to ensure that this does not happen.”
Other major changes at Sharples this semester include the addition of spares ribs and sloppy joes, while other bars and entrees were tweaked slightly for variety and improved combinations.