Mocon Leaves Bellies Empty

By Carrie McCarthy
Assistant News

With Mocon under new management, the dining hall has begun the year with a rocky start. Many students have reported that Mocon has been running out of food and feel that the general quality has not been as good as last year.

"The first week or so there were some problems, but as to my knowledge they’ve been corrected," said Director of Campus Dining Services John Turenne.

Turenne said that there was only one incident when Mocon ran out of some entrees. He said that affected students were refunded points or issued vouchers for food at the Campus Center.

Mike Fox-Boyd ’00, a member of the cross-country team, said that he eats at Mocon because it is the only place on campus where he can eat a lot after practice.

"Mocon is a place where you can sit down at large tables, sit with the team and gorge yourself for an hour," he said. "Last year it was really good and I was excited to eat there."

Fox-Boyd is no longer a Mocon fan.

"The quality of food they serve in line has gone down," Fox-Boyd said. "The food was horrible, it was a joke."

Both Fox-Boyd and Noah Lansner ’00 reported that on Monday and Tuesday, when they arrived at Mocon after practice at approximately 7 p.m., Mocon was out of pasta, ice cream and salad fixings.

"Last year after practice I was able to show up and the salad fixings would still be there," Fox-Boyd said. "It’s a debacle when I come out of line and there is no salad."

"We just try and come out here often as we can and keep [the salad bar] clean," said Mocon employee Jeremy Crowe. "If I fill [the salad dressings] towards the end of the night, it’s less work I have to do before I go home."

Crowe added that he did not work on Monday night.

Fox-Boyd also said that PanGeos, the Mocon pizza-making station, closed before 7:15 p.m., when Mocon is supposed to be close.

"PanGeos has been pretty much the salvation for Mocon and it closed, only one person on our team got one," Fox-Boyd said. "I ended up eating a pork chop that was like cement — I spilled a couple of my teammate’s drinks trying to cut it."

Sunday night Abigail Rabinko ’01 went to Mocon for dinner specifically for the sundaes which had been offered on Sunday nights in years past. There were none.

"I think that sundaes are the best thing that Mocon has to offer, which is pretty pathetic," Rabinko said.

When told about the problems with food shortages and early closings that students have had at Mocon this week, Turenne said that it was the first that he’d heard about it and the matter would be looked into. He added that if that were the case, it was completely unacceptable.

Henry Howard, the new McConaughy Hall Food Service Director, could not be reached for comment.

"[Howard] closed a couple of nights this week and no one he’s talked to has had other problems," Turenne said.

Several Mocon employees attributed the food shortages to a larger than expected turnout. Another employee added that students might be finding food shortages at brunch on weekends because everyone comes in at 12:45 p.m., fifteen minutes before Mocon closes.

Lansner said he did not feel that was an acceptable reason for Mocon to run out of food.

"They’ve been doing this for enough years that they should know how many students come, it shouldn’t matter when they show up," he said.

Not all students have been perturbed by the food situation at Mocon.

"It’s okay," said John Lawler ’02. "The drink selection is good and the grilled cheeses are good."

"The people that work there are really nice and I really like the social atmosphere," said Jill Benson ’02.

Turenne gave no indication what changes, if any, will take place at Mocon.

"At college we’ve got to eat," Fox-Boyd said. "They might as well make it less of a disaster and let us eat nicely."