Russell House renovations to continue through fall semester
BY CHRIS FOY
THE GAMECOCK
When classes begin, return
ing students aren’t expected to
see a lot of change in the
Russell House — yet. Over the
next two years, however, stu
dents will witness an extensive
renovation of their student
union.
By Aug. 17, phase one of the
Russell House Renovation
Project is expected to be com
plete. Phase one involves mov
ing the mailboxes downstairs
to the Carolina Mall. Phase
two entails finishing the new
mailbox area as well as the
new location for the game
room, which will begin after
fall semester begins.
Moving the mailboxes down
stairs is part of the Russell
House’s new layout, which will
feature not only the mail sta
tion downstairs, but also a
Quick Copy area, a print shop
and perhaps a Mailboxes Etc.
“Essentially, this is de
signed to bring about a much
better organized and central
ized Russell House post office
operation,” said Helen Zeigler,
USC director of Business
Affairs.
The redesign for the Russell
House is meant not only to give
the building a newer look, but
also to make the services more
efficient.
With the removal of the
mailboxes, this fall the first
floor lobby will begin its trans
formation to a food court. Over
the next couple of months,
Carolina Styles, and the
Student Government offices
will be cleared out to make the
first floor lobby exclusively
food services. In addition,
“I think everyone agrees
this building is a maze,
and that’s what we’re
trying to rectify.”
JOHN OGLE
RUSSELL HOUSE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR
OPERATIONS
there are plans to increase
seating in the Grand Market
Place.
John Ogle, assistant direc
tor for operations in the
Russell House, noted that the
construction project will be on
going.
“There will be visible con
struction going on the first
floor lobby in the ffrst
semester,” Ogle said. “But
when it’s done, it will leave
our students with more food
options, more attractive din
ing establishments and make
the building brighter with
more natural light.”
Other redesign plans call for
moving all dining facilities out
of the basement because em
phasis will be on student ser
vices. In addition to the mail
station, the ID station and the
general store will remain, but
the game room will be moved
to the basement, which will be
renamed Carolina
Underground.
According to Ogle, the con
fusion of the construction will
become understandable when
the new design is carried out.
“I think everyone agrees this
building is a jnaze, and that’s
what we’re trying to rectify.”
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
SODEXHO INTRODUCES VARIETY, REVAMPS DINING FACILITIES
BY GINNY THORNTON
THE GAMECOCK
USC dining isn’t often identified with
Sunday brunch atop Capstone, trendy in
ternational choices or upscale brands.
But to future USC students, these op
tions might be as common as Chicken
Finger Wednesday is now.
USC has accepted the proposal
Sodexho submitted this past spring to
provide dining services at USC for the
next 15 years.
South Carolina law requires USC to
periodically issue a request for propos
als. This year, USC chose Sodexho over
Chartwell’s, the only other competitor.
While Sodexho has provided dining
services at USC during the past 20 years
and has always received contract re
newal, Sodexho Regional Director Liz
Bohlke said the company approached the
proposal as if it were new business.
“We always want to take care of the
customer,” Bohlke said. “And we’ve
found that there are some new ways for
us to do that.”
Bohlke said that while change won’t
come immediately, students will see a
variety of facility and food-choice
changes within the next few years.
“There’s not going to be a big splash
in September, but by the spring and next
summer, you’ll be able to notice a differ
ence,” Bohlke said. “We’re taking our
time on this because we want to do it
right.”
Sodexho is taking its time and paying
meticulous attention to the plans for
USC.
Sodexho General Manager Mike
Sheffries proudly displayed a heavy, two
volume proposal, neatly packaged in its
own box.
“Two years,” Bohlke said, looking at
the weighty books, which contain the de
tailed proposal Sodexho presented to
USC.
The glossy pages are filled with de
scriptions and colorful renderings of
ideas for a USC dining facility makeover,
and photos of other colleges where
Sodexho provides dining services.
Bohlke said the proposal process start
ed with focus groups and surveys de
signed to find out what students wanted
in on-campus eating.
From there, they worked with brand
ing experts and planners at the national
level.
Bohlke and Sheffries both were en
thusiastic about the advantage they say
the 15-year contract will give them, and
the extra space USC has allotted for din
ing services use.
“In the past, we’ve signed a 5-year con
tract,” said Bohlke. “Now it will be easi
er for Sodexho to justify investing in
more drastic facility changes because we
know we’ll be around long enough to
profit from the return.”
Helen Zeigler, director of USC
Business Affairs, said Sodexho’s inter
est in refurbishing dining facilities was a
major reason they won the contract.
“We asked the vendors what kind of
investment they would make,” Zeigler
said. “They came in and talked to us...
We’re very happy with the choice.”
Bohlke said Sodexho plans to display
signs hi campus dining areas during the
school year to inform students about the
progression of changes and construction.
“We’ve enjoyed a great relationship
with USC for the last 20 years,” Bohlke
said. “We were thrilled to continue to
work with them.”
But even though change is scheduled,
Sheffries is adamant that the good parts
of USC dining will remain in tact.
“Cancel Chicken Finger Wednesday?
No way. I don’t know what would hap
pen if we did that.”
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
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