There have been a lot of changes to the food in Connecticut College dining halls over the years. In the 2023-24 academic year, when I was a first-year student, Conn’s food services were run internally through the College itself. In the 2024-25 academic year, the College transitioned fully to the dining company Chartwells. Students have several opinions about the food at Conn since the switch. This has led to discussion about whether the meal plan at Conn is worth it.
All students living on campus are required to use the full meal plan, unless they reside in one of the housing options with a kitchen (such as a Ridge or Winch) or Lazarus House. The rest of the students must choose from one of three dining halls to eat in. JA and Oasis have limited hours, so this usually means students have to resort to Harris. For me, the food at Harris is ok at best. It was great my first year, then got much worse last year, especially during the transition phase. Last year, I ended up attending JA Late Night instead of the food at Harris, which sometimes looks inedible. I would only go for lunch when they actually had decent food out, like the spicy popcorn shrimp or Build-Your-Own Taco Wednesdays.
I spoke with students of all class years who were here before the Cro renovation and after, to get their opinions on what should change or stay the same.
Liana Bourdon ‘27 mentioned that “they need to add more meal swipes and make burgers (at Oasis) less expensive,” as “I have to add Camel Cash every week, and my parents are already paying 90k for tuition…they need to do something about the prices.” The single cheeseburger, without using a meal swipe, is currently $10, even without adding fries. Liana also suggests increasing the number of meal swipes per week from 5 days to 7 days.
CeCe Flosman ‘28 also had some thoughts about Oasis to share. As a busy sophomore balancing schoolwork, e-board duties, and other club meetings, as well as working a part-time job on campus, she is usually not free until well after Harris closes, especially on Sunday. At Oasis, she enjoys getting the bowls with a meal swipe, and sometimes gets a TruFru cup as a sweet treat.
She can only do this sometimes, as they are $10 for a little cup.
One of my favorite foods is sushi, so I was super excited to see that they added it to the Oasis Grab and Go menu. After seeing that it was $12 for a 6-piece roll, I quickly realized that this could only be a once-a-month treat. I would like to see them lower the price on these grab-and-go items so we, as students, can enjoy our favorites more regularly.
Students also have mixed feelings about the Sweet Shoppe section of Harris, where the desserts are served. There are strong opinions on the soft serve station. Some students miss the hard ice cream they had previously. I enjoy the soft serve and the fact that you don’t have to put effort into scooping hard flavors. However, I do miss it as well, and how I used to be able to take to-go cups back to my room.
In Harris, there is currently a suggestion board that students can write on. This allows students to express their opinions on the food and suggest changes they think should be made. Dine at Conn has also added a “you spoke, we listened” series on their Instagram page, and they have actually listened to many suggestions. The main suggestions on there are to add fresh fruit, real eggs, and old favorites like crab Rangoon and baked ziti, as well as gummy bears with the ice cream.
Here’s hoping they continue to listen to the students who pay to live and eat here. As Conn dining exists in this transitional period, students must continue to make their voices heard. It’s the only way to create change.
