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Student Services discuss potential changes for 2008

Representatives from Mills College’s Student Services announced plans at the Student Services meeting that was held on Wed., April 2. Plans included increasing food options at Cafe Suzie and piloting a drop box system at the M Center.

Representatives from the College Bookstore, M-Center, Food Services and Facilities met in the Founders Stoddard Private Dining Room at noon.

They answered student questions that were e-mailed to Tracy Peerson, the ASMC Women’s Resource Chair.

One request suggested extending Founders Commons or Tea Shop hours so that students can eat a fresh, warm meal after 7 p.m., when Founders and the Tea Shop close.

David Wilson, the Bon Appetit manager for Mills College, is reticent about extending hours. “Every ti-me you extend hours, cost goes into effect,” he said.

He added that Bon Appetit is trying to expand Cafe Suzie services, which may include offering warm meals.

Although he is not sure what additional items will be offered, Dorothy Calimeris, director of Auxilary Services, suggested items that she said sold well in the past.
“Anything with cheese,” she said. “Melted cheese items like quesadillas, paninis and pizzas.”

Wilson said that Bon Appetit wants to implement changes before the semester ends. “We want to go out with a bang. We want to know what we can do to make Susie’s more exciting,” he said.

Senior Nadia Ghani is happy about possibly getting more options at Cafe Suzie. “It’s about damn time,” she said, adding that she hopes Cafe Suzie will offer burritos.

Senior Josie Keane also wants to see an item Suzie’s sold last school year.

“Mini-pizzas – bring that back!” she said.
Another subject that was brought up is a drop box for forms. The M-Center will test run a drop box but has not set a date to implement it, according to the M Center Operations Manager.

She said the drop box may help reduce lines during busy times such as the last days to add or drop a class.

It would also lessen some M Center workers’ uncertainties about whether to let students cut in line.

“It’s always a dilemma because students say I have a quick question, and it’s not,” Long said. “You can feel the person in the back going, ‘I’ve been waiting.'”

The box would be located outside the M Center and would be taken back in after they close at 4 p.m.. A worker would then date stamp all the forms, according to Long.

Keane is in favor of a drop box. “I don’t often drop off a ton of forms, but I’d like to drop [the forms] off along my way,” she said.

Ghani added that such a system would benefit students who have busy class schedules.

Long said that her main concern was that students may not read which forms can be dropped off and so might leave an inappropriate or incomplete form.

According to an e-mail sent by Peerson on April 1, this Student Services meeting was the last of the semester.

Students can send questions for the M Center to mcenter@mills.edu. Comment cards for Bon Appetit are located at Founders Commons.