Walking towards it, you already begin to notice bight neon lights and an unfamiliar art deco design visible through the glass entrance. It’s only a glimpse of what to come. Berkshire welcomes all who wish to savor the best dining experience on campus. The new and improved, revamped Berkshire Dining Common is drawing the crowds and attention the team behind Berkshire was hoping to get. It has everything you love about the other dining commons, with more stylish and high-tech additions to satisfy the contemporary student. Berkshire was also meant to accommodate the increasing number of students on the meal plan. Catering to about 2,400 people a night, three times the volume of the other dining commons, it’s clear the students and I agree this place is a definite improvement. Berkshire has lost the mundane-looking wooden panels and autumn-themed embellishments, all of which has been replaced with vibrant colors and festive designs, giving it a more upbeat feel. Ryan Pipczynski, the night manager, compared it to a “downtown Northhampton restaurant”, providing a trendier and youthful atmosphere. The installation of booths adds comfort to the dining experience, and enhanced lighting opens up the space. Instead of rows of tables, there is a mix of high tops, and smaller round tables. As the other dining commons have most of their food located in the center of their simplified floor plan, giving an even stronger impression of a public school cafeteria, Berkshire has 11 different stations scattered about. Each station is fashioned with signs and updated titles such as “Veggilicious” and “Chef’s Table”. The 11 different stations allow students more options instead of having the menus rotate daily. Pizza is available every single day, and not only is it available, there are more to choose from such as Cheese, Spicy, Hawaiian, and the all-time favorite, Pepperoni. Their Asian cuisine rivals that of the Oak Room, found in Worcester. Noodles are offered either stir fried or with soup, which was good though larger proportions were preferable. The Bakery produces more delectable looking cakes and in addition to hard and soft ice cream, popsicles are on the list of alternatives. The quality and taste of food may be a slight improvement on those of the other dining commons, but for the most part, the food remains the same. They might not be North Hampton restaurant picks, but they are pretty good in terms of university food. Although the staff isn’t used to the increased volume of students, as the night manager mentioned, they’re still welcoming with their friendly demeanors and hospitality. All of these familiarities remind us we’re still in UMass. The expanding demands and expectations of the students pushed directors and project managers to think beyond what was standard and conventional. Quality and flair was becoming almost as important as simple nourishment. They had to meet more needs than the basics of food and water, and they succeeded. The vast number of students flocking to Berkshire is a testament to their pleasant satisfaction. The d