This school year, as many students eagerly make the trek uphill hoping to enjoy a snack or meal at No Name Caf?© in the Fletcher School, they are surprised to find that the caf?© has changed its name to Mugar Caf?©.
They're even more surprised to see that the caf?© is no longer offering the same menu as it did last year. The removal of smoothies, the custom salad bar, and Starbucks coffee has subsequently altered the atmosphere of the caf?©, and many undergraduate students now feel discouraged from attending.
"I was looking forward to eating lunch uphill in between classes, because I have a minimal meal plan, but now there is nowhere uphill for me to eat," sophomore Vanessa Montenegro said.
Last year, No Name was able to offer healthier, fresher, and according to many students, slightly better quality meals than those at comparable dining spots on campus. Displaced students without a full meal plan now must eat at the Commons or Hotung, which is disappointing to some.
"It doesn't make sense to take away what the students want," sophomore Vanessa Clark said.
Rumors have been circulating that points are no longer accepted at this location, and that undergraduate students are not "allowed" to patronize Mugar Caf?©, but this is untrue.
"Everything is the same at the caf?©, except for the name and several menu changes," Klos added.
Those "several menu changes," however, are causing some students consternation. The caf?© no longer serves fresh-made salads, wraps, and smoothies. Many students are confused as to these items' absence, especially considering their immense popularity.
Klos said that last year, when the new menu items were originally introduced, there was a huge rise in patrons, which led to extremely long lines and overcrowding. What used to be an intimate meeting spot for Fletcher students and professors turned into a swamped social scene.
So far, the changes are effective, as Mugar Caf?© is less crowded and more "grad student oriented." A look around the caf?© this year reveals mostly students studying as opposed to eating.
"I've been coming here to study a lot lately, and it's definitely quieter than last year, with much fewer undergrads," said sophomore Liz Kulik.
Students and faculty at Fletcher are appreciative of this year's more calm atmosphere. It does fill up at lunchtime, but mostly with Fletcher students. "It's hard not to notice a change," one second-year Fletcher student said. "It's a lot less crowded here now, which makes for more space to visit and study. It was just too packed last year."
There is an inevitable trade-off in the situation. Last year's widely appealing food choices - like the smoothies with protein and vitamin shots for energy boosts, and freshly made wraps - cannot continue to be offered if the environment in the caf?© is meant to provide a place exclusively for Fletcher students to meet and study.
Other dining spots on campus have made subtle changes to their menus as well. Brown and Brew now offers smoothies, but from a different company.
"There is a bit more foot traffic this year, possibly due to the changes at Mugar," said Evan Litchenstein, a supervisor at Brown and Brew.
More significantly, the addition of The Tower Caf?© to Tisch Library will offer students yet another locale to visit for coffee and snacks.
Still, many students would like to see an uphill dining spot that takes points, and the administration say that they are searching for such a spot, which would cater to an undergraduate audience.
"The problem is finding or creating space, which is not an easy task," Klos said.
