New Year, New Val: Dining Director Brings about Change

As students returned to campus this week, there were a few surprises awaiting them in Valentine Dining Hall. New condiments? Coconut water? Scoop-your-own ice cream and a pancake machine? This summer, new Director of Dining Bill Connor made more than a couple shifts in Val — while most of them have received positive feedback, others have been brewing some controversy among Amherst students.

New Layout and Additions

Any returning student will notice new changes immediately upon walking into Val. The checker station now sits at a table in the middle of the hallway, effectively dividing the line into two — the left side for credit card or guest swipes, and the right being a “fast lane” for quick ID swipes.

The layout of tables has also been a noticeable change. The booths in the Russ Wing and the coffee room now run parallel to the wall and more tables have been added beside the cereal and bagel stations. According to Connor, the goal of this new layout is to “encourage maximum offerings and distribute traffic throughout the building, reducing lines where people congregate.”

Next to this space, where the smoothie station once was, is now a new allergy-friendly zone, designated as free from the top nine allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat/gluten, fish, shellfish, and sesame. The goal of this gated-off area is to reduce cross-contact and includes a panini press and waffle iron, among other appliances.

Connor credits student feedback, specifically within The Student’s reporting, with many of these changes, sharing that “prior to being hired at Amherst College, [he] read back editions of The Amherst Student and created an action plan based off of the articles and stories from the last year.”

Connor has also included more Halal proteins on the menu and all-day availability of yogurt, cottage cheese, and fresh fruit. Students can now add SunButter or marshmallow fluff to their bread or bagels, or use the new pancake machine and top their breakfasts off with warm syrup. More pizza toppings have also been added, including hot honey.

While the soft-serve machine will not make a return, there is new hard-scoop ice cream — locally sourced from Northside Creamery in Westfield, Massachusetts. A variety of toppings, including caramel and fudge, are also now available — with more cold toppings to be added in the future.

Connor has also expanded the beverage options in Val. There is a new hot chocolate machine, milk alternative station, two different types of cold brew, and flavored syrups that can be added to coffees, teas, or drinks. On the main floor, there are more flavored waters and a new tea and lemonade station. Upstairs, Cocovibe, a coconut water option, is available. According to Connor, new pineapple and tropical fruit juices are on their way as well, replacing the other juices that have been removed.

To-Go Cups

While there are many new additions to Val, some items have been taken away. Perhaps most controversially, the brown compostable hot to-go cups and the compostable plastic cold to-go cups are no longer available. While there are still single-use cups in Val, they are now much smaller and evidently less functional, lacking a heat sleeve or lid.

Students have strongly criticized this change — an uproar that is not unfamiliar. Last fall, when the cold single-use cups were relocated, The Student reported on Val’s attempts to reduce waste in the dining hall — citing shifts made by the EcoReps and a new sign that asked “Really need a single-use cup?”

Director of Sustainability Wes Dripps explained that “the widespread and continued use of single-use disposable cups in Val was unsustainable economically and environmentally, especially when there are readily available, sustainable alternatives.”

According to Dripps, the college spent “tens and tens of thousands of dollars a year on throw-away single use cups.” He further explained, “A dining waste comparison this summer found that, per capita, Amherst was generating the most waste of the five colleges, in fact more than double that of Mount Holyoke and UMass, in large part because of all of the single-use disposables we were using.”

Connor supports Dripps’ initiative and clarifies that students may bring any reusable drink container into Val — whether that be a teacup or a gallon jug. This change may come as a surprise for upperclassmen, who remember past years where students could be reprimanded for filling up their reusable bottles.

While Dripps acknowledges that these changes are difficult, he feels this shift towards reusable containers is essential to achieve Amherst’s sustainability goals.

Grab-n-Go and Late Night

Connor’s efforts to reduce waste in Dining Services aren’t limited solely to the dining hall. Namely, Grab-n-Go will be shifting away from prepackaged foods.

While “many of [Grab-n-Go’s] daily offerings from years past are no longer going to be available,” Connor shared that there will be some new additions, such as popcorn chicken and a baked potato bar.

“The reason for this change is to move away from the high cost of excessive packaging and processed snacks,” Connor said. “Instead, [we want to] put that energy toward higher quality food and a streamlined, sustainable dining experience.”

Another major shift in Val has been the change in dining hours. Dinner at Val will now close at 8 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than it has in previous years. However, Connor reassures students that this is only to give dining staff enough time to clean up before his next initiative: Late Night five days a week.

“The expansion of two days was an idea that came from the [Office of Student Affairs] (OSA) student survey from last spring.” Connor said. Late Night will start on Sept. 8 with a new menu and will be open from 9 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

While the new Late Night menu has yet to be released, Connor hinted that he is “going to talk to Chef Colin about some Late Night Tandem Bagel nights in Val.”

This idea follows Connor’s decision to no longer stock Tandem bagels in Val on the weekends. While the removal of to-go cups seems to be the most controversial shift, there were complaints about ending Tandem bagels last year — only for them to be brought back last fall by student petition.

“There were tradeoffs,” Connor explained. “We had to ensure we could balance all the costs of all of the changes to the program.” Instead, toasted Tandem Bagels can now be bought Sunday through Friday in the Frost Cafe.

Future Changes

Connor said he hopes for a complete shift in the Val meal plan by Fall 2025. In the meantime, he will be making smaller changes throughout the year and even hinted at a “surprise for the end of October for the Val Lobby — barring any challenges with shipping.”

Although Connor has focused on changing Val, he also clarified that his focus is on the new Dining Commons opening Fall 2026. “Val was built in 1941. Just like an old house, old buildings have limitations which prohibit large changes.”

Until then, Connor hopes to receive more student feedback. “I hope that AAS [the Association of Amherst Students] will consider launching the Food Committee again.” He shared “the more feedback we receive the better the program will be.”